A Leap Of Faith
by forgetmeknot
Summary: SEQUEL to This Could Be Something! After escaping once before, Ava must use her unique powers yet again to fight against Lord Voldemort!
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related! **_

**HEY! This is the sequel to This Could Be Something. Before you continue reading, please go and read that story! **

**Now, if you're still here, thanks for checking out this story. I'm so excited to start writing it! I also love feedback, so if you have any comments/constructive criticism, please review and let me know! Thx!**

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><p><strong>Draco POV<strong>

It was silent. So silent that the only sound was my panicked breaths and the crackling of the fire. My heart was pounding painfully in my chest, as I waited alone in the sitting room. I rubbed my sweaty palms together, which was a bad nervous habit of mine.

The Dark Lord had requested a meeting with me. I couldn't think about what it could be about, but I knew that this night could be my last. The Dark Lord was not pleased with my family at the moment, so when he requested a meeting I couldn't help but expect the worst.

When my father told us, my mother had spent the entire night sobbing hysterically, which obviously didn't prove to be very comforting.

That had been one week ago. My mother had been even more protective than usual, barely letting me out of her sight. I could tell that she was trying to put on a positive face for me, but I sometimes heard her crying from her bedroom at night. Now, as I waited in the sitting room, all I could feel a sense of impending doom.

The door behind me swung open, breaking me away from my thoughts. I turned to look at the door. The Dark Lord strode into the room, with a content smirk on his terrifying face. Beside him, was his boa constrictor, Nagini.

My heart, if possible, ached even more in my chest. The Dark Lord walked slowly to where I was perched and sat down in the chair beside me. I didn't dare to look straight at him, so instead I just focused my eyes on the blazing fire before me. Nobody said anything for a few minutes, which made me feel even worse.

"Draco," said Voldemort in a cold, harsh whisper. "Thank you for joining me this evening."

_Like I had a choice, _I thought.

"Of course, master," I said.

"I have called you here this evening because I have a mission for you," he told me.

"A-a mission, My Lord?" I stuttered. So... he wasn't going to kill me then?

"Yes, a mission. It will give you a chance to redeem your family's honour. It is of vital importance... for your family's safety," he said.

"What would I have to do?" I asked.

"Your mission is to kill Albus Dumbledore," he said simply. If it had been anyone else who had said that, I probably would have laughed in their face. What a hilarious thing to say: kill Albus Dumbledore! But, when Voldemort said it, it didn't sound funny. It sounded like a death sentence to me. That was it! He was giving me an impossible task that would end up killing me to punish my parents. That had to be it.

"My Lord, killing Dumbledore? He's too strong," I muttered. Voldemort let out a cold, high-pitched laugh.

"Well, Draco. I suppose you are going to have to find a way of accomplishing your task. It is in your best _interest_," he said slowly. There was an emphasis on his words that made me think that I either had to do the task or I would never do anything ever again.

"You must accomplish your task before the end of the year. It is crucial," he told me. Well, I didn't really have a choice.

"I understand, My Lord," I said. He nodded in approval.

"You may leave now," he said, shooing me away. I immediately got out of the chair and hurried out the door. When I closed the door behind me, I saw my parents waiting nervously on the other side.

"Draco! You're alright," said my mother. She threw her arms around my neck. I patted her back for a few seconds before pulling out of the hug. I jogged away from them and up the large staircase. I finally reached my bedroom. I slipped inside the door and locked it. Finally, the anxiety and fear that I was feeling was able to come out.

Hot tears stung me eyes, and slowly escaped from my eyes. I didn't bother wiping my face, and instead I lay on my bed and stared up at the ceiling.

I didn't leave my room for dinner when my mother came to knock on my door. I just ignored her and my father's pleas for information. They would, no doubt, find out about the mission in their meeting later tonight. I just lay in bed contemplating the task before me.

I was going to have to kill Albus Dumbledore! Arguably the most powerful wizard in the world! It was inconceivable to think that I would be able to pull this off, but I guess I didn't have a choice anymore. I would start thinking about a plan tomorrow. For now, I decided to just try and forget about it... just for one last night.

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><p><strong>Avery POV<strong>

I was comfortably sleeping in my bed at my Gran's house. I had just gotten up, but I decided that I wasn't really ready to get ready yet. There was a knock.

"Gran! I'm up," I whined. There was another loud knock. I rolled my eyes but pulled myself out of bed. I opened the door, expecting to see my little brother, Dylan, standing on the otherside.

Oh, was I wrong... As soon as the door opened, multiple arms were thrown around me. All I saw was a flash of red hair before I was attacked. The force was so much that I nearly fell backwards. My attackers decided that this would be a good time to pull away. Once they were an arms length away from me, I saw who it was. The two identical red-heads were wearing large grins.

"Fred, George! What are you doing here?" I asked, happily.

"We decided to grace you with our presence," said George.

"Oh, how thoughtful of you," I said sarcastically. "How have you been?"

"Been good! We were able to acquire a premises in Diagon Alley, and we've started up the store!" said Fred.

"Really? Already! But you've only been out of Hogwarts for a few months!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, we had been planning our escape for months!" they told me.

"Wow. So is business going well?" I asked.

"Excellent! Didn't expect it to be this good!" said George.

"That's great! I'm glad things are working out!" I said, happily. Fred and George had worked so hard on their merchandise and they really deserved all their success.

"So what are you really doing here?" I asked, seriously.

"We've come to rescue you. We're taking you with us," said George.

"Taking me? But I have to talk to Gran first," I realized. As much as I loved Gran and Dylan, it was just so boring here!

"No worries, love. It's already taken care of. Mum and Dad sent her a letter. And you've been coming to our house enough that she's fairly familiar with this," said Fred.

"I guess that's true! You should have told me you were coming though! I could have packed last night then," I sighed, looking at the piles of stuff that were covering the carpet.

"Where's the fun in that? And don't worry about the packing. I can do it," offered George. He flicked his wand and my stuff began to stuff into my trunk. As everything was packing I quickly picked up some clean clothes and went to change. By the time I had exited the bathroom, my room had been completely emptied of my stuff. Awesome!

"Thanks, George!" I exclaimed. The boys picked up my trunk, while I grabbed Chester's cage and we went downstairs. Gran and Dylan were eating breakfast at the table, along with someone else. Another red-head.

"Bill!" I cried. I ran over and gave him a tight hug.

"Ava! How are you doing!" he asked, ruffling my hair.

"I'm doing great! What are you doing here too?" I asked.

"Well, I was catching up with your grandmother," he smirked.

"No, I mean here, in my house?" I asked.

"Well, Fred and George are going to apparate with your trunk and owl, and I'm going to take you with side-along apparation," he explained the plan.

"Ah, alright. And where exactly are we going? Are we going to Grimmauld Place?" I asked.

"Oh no. Grimmauld Place has been completely taken over by the Order. Mum thinks it's too dangerous to have you lot there because we may find something out that we're not supposed to hear. I'm taking you to The Burrow," he explained. I suppressed a sigh, and nodded. It was kind of ridiculous that they weren't letting me into the Order! After last year I felt that I had the right to have a little bit more information... sadly, that argument was always countered by the fact that I was still underaged.

We were going to leave in just a few minutes so I figured that this would be as good a time as any to say goodbye to my family.

"Ava, I'm going to miss you so much," said Gran, tearfully. After I had told her all of what had happened at the end of last year she had become a little bit protective, to say the least.

"I'm going to miss you too, Gran," I said, hugging her. She finally let me go. I turned to Dylan.

"Be good. Do well in school! No swearing, or smoking, or drinking, or whatever else kids are doing these days," I said, sternly.

"Oh, please! I'll be just fine, thanks," he said, rolling his eyes at my sisterly advice. He pulled me into a hug, nonetheless. I hugged him back and then pulled away.

"I'll see you soon," I promised.

"Please stay safe," begged Gran.

"I'll try my best," I said, earnestly. After another brief hug, I grasped onto Bill's arm.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Definitely! Let's go!" I said. And we were off to The Burrow!

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><p><strong>YAY! First chapter of the sequel! Hope you liked it! I know that there wasn't a lot that happened, but this is just the beginning! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>We landed in the Weasley's overgrown front garden. I was still clutching Bill's arm.<p>

"Ok, you can loosen the death grip there, love," said Bill, wrenching his arm out of my grasp.

"Oops, sorry," I said, quickly detaching myself from him. I looked around the large, cluttered lawn. There were two gnomes having a fist fight in the middle, while several others were pulling out the begonias from the small flowerbed.

"No! You stop it now!" cried Mrs. Weasley, running out of the kitchen door, waving a rag at them. They saw her coming and quickly ran away, jumping headfirst into their gnome holes. I couldn't help by but let out a giggle. Mrs. Weasley looked up and saw us standing there.

"Ava! You're here!" she cried, rushing over to give me a tight hug. After a few moments, Mrs. Weasley pulled away from the embrace and held me at arms length.

"You're looking a bit peaky. Have you been eating properly?" she asked me sternly.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley! Don't worry," I promised, with a grin. I thought it was sweet (and a little bit annoying) how concerned Mrs. Weasley was about all her kids' friends.

"Alright, dear. Well, let's get back inside. Ron is waiting to say hello," she told he. She pulled her wand out of her pocket and levitated my trunk into the house.

"Oh, just give me one moment," I said. They all looked at me in confusion as I jogged over to the garden, where the gnomes had destroyed the flowers. I concentrated for just a moments, before all the flowers were regrown.

"Thank you, dear," she said in appreciation. I smiled and followed her into the house. As soon as I stepped inside I was greeted by the smell of freshly baking bread. I glanced around the kitchen to see that it was just as messy and disorganized as it always was – just as I liked it. I continued into the living room to see that it was empty. Hmm... where was that Ronald? I could hear the other Weasleys talking in the kitchen so I decided to go back and catch up.

"Yes mum. We're being careful," sighed one of the twins. I stopped short, and stood quietly outside of the entrance of the kitchen.

"Good, because things are looking bad. Worse than we thought," said Mrs. Weasley, cryptically.

"Yeah, the Ministry is making it very difficult for anyone they think is associated with Dumbledore. Dad and Percy have both had inquiries at work, and they did a search of the house," said Bill.

"Yeah, we heard," said the other twin.

"So, please be very careful about what you do and say. The Ministry is looking for any excuse to arrest us. If you have any dangerous products, you should get rid of them immediately," she told them.

"Well, none of our products are _dangerous_. We've tested everything out," said a twin.

"I'm just warning you," she said, seriously.

"Ava!" I heard from behind me. I jumped violently and turned around to see Ron coming down the stairs.

"Ron!" I exclaimed. I rushed over to give him a hug.

"What were you doing?" he asked as he pulled out of the hug a few seconds later.

"Well... I was..." I trailed off, not sure whether Ron would be upset about me eavesdropping on his family.

"Listening in to their conversation?" he smirked.

"Yeah. Sorry. I just feel like it's the only way to find out anything nowadays," I sighed. I hadn't been told anything since leaving school a month ago. I had been reading the Daily Prophet, but with the Ministry so anti-Dumbledore at the moment, I knew they were leaving things out.

"Don't apologize. Fred and George gave me a few extendable ears so that I could find out more information, so long as I passed it on to them," he explained, with a grin.

"Oh, alright. Wait? Why do Fred and George need you to spy? Can't they just do it themselves?" I asked.

"Nah, they're living in the flat above their joke shop, so they've passed on the torch," he said, proudly.

"Of course, Ron. But they're of age now. Why can't they just ask whatever they want? I mean, they're part of the Order now, right?" I asked.

"No, they're not. Mum is still against them being in it. They've been fighting about it for months now. They even talked to Dumbledore about it. He said it was fine if they wanted to join, but Mum still refuses to tell me anything... and they don't really see any of the other Order members. Business has been booming for them, so they're quite busy," he explained.

"Ah, I get it. I don't understand why she's being this protective though. I mean, Bill and Charlie are in the Order," I wondered out loud.

"Yeah, I know. I think Mum is having trouble acknowledging that Fred and George are actually adults now," he shrugged.

"What does your dad think?" I questioned.

"I think he would be fine with the twins joining, but he agrees with Mum. He's been really busy at work these days, because he got a promotion, so I don't think he wants to spend the small amount of time in the house fighting with my mum," said Ron.

"That's very insightful of you, Ron," I said in surprise.

"I have my moments," he pouted. I leaned over and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek, which lead to a smile appearing on his face.

"Ava, there you are!" said Mrs. Weasley, coming into the living room, followed by the boys.

"Yeah, just saying hi to Ron," I said.

"Well, we just wanted to say goodbye. We must get back to the store," said George.

"Oh," I said in disappointment. I had always gotten along well with Fred and George, and it was going to be odd not having them in the house.

"We'll come by tomorrow, hopefully," said Fred.

"I expect you here early," I said, sternly, sounding a little bit like Mrs. Weasley. They grinned and gave me tight hugs before apparating away.

"Ron, can you help Ava take her trunk upstairs? Bill and I have some business to which we must attend," she said.

"Sure, Mum," he said as she turned around and went to the kitchen. We followed her, and picked up my enormous trunk. We struggled out of the room. As soon as we were out, Ron put down the handle he was holding, causing me to almost fall over.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"Shh," he said, pointing to the door. He had pulled an extendable ear and had placed it near the door. I huddled next to him and listened.

"Dumbledore says he is doing alright, but I can't help but wonder what it's doing to the poor boy," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Well, he chose to do this, so he has to deal with the consequences," said Bill.

"I know that, but the boy is only a child! He's barely older than Fred and George," she said, with a sigh. My breath caught in my throat. They were talking about Ben.

"Mum, we see him nearly several times a week at the meetings, and Dad sees him everyday at work. He's doing as well as we could hope at this point," said Bill, rationally. He had always been wise.

"Yes, dear. I know you're right. I just worry about him. And I worry about Ava too. The girl had to go through so much last year. I'm sure she must be suffering from some kind of distress about the whole thing," she sighed.

"Ava's a tough girl. She know's how to deal with it," Bill said, supportively. I knew I had always liked him.

"But she's only a child! It's bad enough that Dumbledore is so nonchalant about giving Harry information! But actually taking Ava into battle is unacceptable!" she hissed.

"He took Ava into battle, yes. But she managed to get everyone out of there without a scratch. Have some more faith in her," suggested Bill. I felt my cheeks burn slightly at Bill's complementary words.

"You're right, Bill. Are you doing to stay for lunch?" she asked.

"No, I need to get back to work! They won't like me taking such a long lunch break," he said.

"Alright, dear. Come back tomorrow, with Fleur, if you want. Hopefully the twins can also come for lunch," she said.

"I'll try," he said. He said goodbye and I heard a popping sound, indicating that he had apparated away. We heard footsteps coming from the kitchen as Mrs. Weasley started walking to the living room. Ron hurriedly stuffed the extendable ear into his pocket. We grabbed the handles of the trunk and rushed up the stairs.

We stopped at the first landing and knocked at Ginny's bedroom door. A few moments later, she threw it opened.

"You're finally here!" She cried, giving me a hug.

"Yeah, I'm here! Hey Gin," I said.

"Mum set up a cot for you here," she said, motioning to the two tiny bed that was set up beside hers.

"Great! So I take it Hermione and Harry aren't here yet?" I asked.

"No, not yet. Apparently Dumbledore is going to pick Harry up from the Dursley's himself. Hermione is getting her in about a week," said Ron.

"Damn, that means I'm stuck with you two for a whole week!" I sighed dramatically.

"Shut up!" said Ron, elbowing me playfully. I chuckled.

"Alright, come upstairs once you've gotten settled," he said, heading up to his room. Ginny helped me to drag my trunk the last few steps into her room. I decided to save the unpacking for later. Instead, I sat on my bed and chatted with Ginny for a bit. She started telling me about her new relationship with Dean Thomas.

"So, how do your darling brothers feel about this?" I asked, knowing how protective the Weasley brothers were about their little sister.

"They're... not pleased. Ron's apparently going to have a 'talk' with Dean once we're back," she shuddered.

"No way. Don't worry, I'll speak to him for you," I promised.

"Thank you!" she said gratefully. We spent the next hour just gossiping about girly things. Finally, she decided that she had to finish off a letter to Dean, so I went upstairs to Ron's room. We spent the rest of the day playing chess in his room. Overall, it had been a nice, relaxing day!

If only I had known how quickly things would change...

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><p><strong>Woo hoo! Chapter 2 is out! Thanks for reading! A new chapter will be up tomorrow, most likely! Keep the suggestions coming if you have them! They're really helpful! Thanks! :D<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Chapter 3! Thanks!**

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><p>I was sprawled out across Ron's bed, while he was stretched out on a small armchair that was squished in the corner.<p>

"Ok, seriously! What are we going to do until Hermione gets here!" I asked, for the umpteenth time.

"I suggested chess and you said no," he retorted.

"Ron! We've been playing chess for a week! Or exploding snap!" I sighed.

"I know! I can't think of anything!" he whined.

"When did we get this boring?" I demanded.

"Tell me about it! We have lots of fun at school. I guess there's not much to do at home," he shrugged.

"Well, maybe we should just talk. I feel like we never just talk," I suggested.

"Alright," he said with a laugh. "What should we talk about?"

"How about Hermione? How are you guys doing?" I asked.

"We're doing great. I can't wait for her to get here," he sighed.

"Yeah, I'm excited to see her! I've written to her a few times, but it took her a while to send a response," I commented.

"I've been writing to her every day," admitted Ron, his cheeks turning a little bit red.

"Aw, Ron. I didn't know you were such a romantic," I joked.

"Shut up, Ava. I really miss her! Let's stop talking about Hermione. What about you and Harry? How are things going?" he asked.

"They're going well, I guess. I haven't been able to see him yet because of all of Dumbledore's rules about Harry's living arrangement. I've written a couple of times but I wasn't really able to say much in case the letter fell into the wrong hands. I miss him too, though! I wish I didn't have to wait another whole day until he reaches here!" I complained.

"Ava, he'll be here soon! You can just hang out with Hermione and I tonight," he suggested.

"Oh gosh no! I am definitely not going to be the third wheel. You two can have some alone time. Ginny and I can hang out," I said, revolted by the idea of hanging around my two best friends while they were all couple-y and mushy... ugh.

"Suit yourself," he shrugged, but I could see a large grin on his face. "Fred and George may come over later. I think I see them more than ever now that they've moved out."

"Yeah! I asked them to bring me some products from the store so that I could try them out!" I told him.

"You'd better not use them in the house. Mum will go ballistic! She's already trying to convince Fred and George to give up the joke shop and get a job with Dad," said Ron. The idea of the twins working at the Ministry was hilarious. I burst out laughing at the image, and Ron followed along.

"If that ever happens, you have to promise that you will visit them at work and get photo evidence!" I said, between giggles.

"Deal," he agreed. Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was very faint, considering we were all the way at the top of the house. Ron jumped off the armchair so quickly that it nearly fell over.

"Hermione's here!" he exclaimed, running from the room. I rolled my eyes at him, and pushed myself off the bed to follow him. By the time I had made it down the stairs, Ron and Hermione were locked in a tight embrace. Her head was buried in his shoulder and he was stroking her hair. It was such an intimate moment that I felt like I was intruding.

As I took a step towards Mrs. Weasley, who was standing awkwardly to the side as well, Hermione looked up.

"Ava!" she cried, detaching herself from Ron's arms and coming over to hug me.

"Hey, Hermione! How are you?" I asked.

"Great! It was amazing to see my parents and the vacation was great. I'm so happy to be here though," she added happily.

"That's great, Hermione! I've missed you!" I said.

"Aw, well I've missed you too! Is Harry here yet?" she asked, looking around.

"No, he's going to come here tomorrow night. Dumbledore is going to be dropping him off," I explained.

"Dumbledore? Wow. I wonder why he's decided to go himself," she wondered out loud.

"Me too, but then again, it is Dumbledore. I'm sure he has a good reason," I shrugged. She nodded in agreement.

"Ron, dear. Why don't you take Hermione's trunk up to Ginny's room. I just squeezed another cot in there," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Alright, Mum," he said, picking up a handle.

"I'll help," I said. I rushed over and picked up the handle, and helping to carry it up the stairs. We dropped it off in Ginny's bedroom. She greeted Hermione warmly, and we all sat in Ginny's room for a bit just catching up on each other's summers.

"So, I think I'm going up to bed," said Ron, casually. I was surprised since it was only around eight o'clock.

"Alright, goodnight Ron!" we said, but he didn't leave.

"Er, Hermione. I actually need to show you something. Want to come upstairs for a minute?" he asked.

"Oh, of course Ron. I'll be back in a couple of minutes," she said. As soon as she left and the door closed behind her, Ginny and I burst out laughing.

"Do you think we're going to see her again tonight?" Ginny asked.

"Not a chance. Oh dear, I hope your mom doesn't come and check on them," I said.

"She won't. Dad just got home so she'll probably be sitting in the kitchen with him for the next couple of hours," she assured. "Just a warning though, she's going to have a talk with you three and Harry tomorrow about the house rules."

"House rules? What do you mean?" I asked, in surprise.

"Well, things like no having sex and no sharing beds. Things like that. I know she had a chat with the twins during one of the summers, when Angelina came to stay for a couple of weeks," explained Ginny.

"Yikes. Well I guess I'm going to have to warn those two. How awkward is that going to be," I sighed. Gran had never bothered to have any sex talks with me because it was just too embarrassing to consider. I knew the general gist though from books and my friends. I guess it was unavoidable though while we were staying at the Burrow.

Ginny and I spent the rest of the evening talking in her room. Later than night, Fred and George showed up at the house. We went downstairs and spent some time with them, though there was no sign of Ron or Hermione.

Soon after the twins had to leave we finally called it a night, and went to bed. I was excited for tomorrow to come so I would be able to see Harry. Just the anticipation of seeing him tomorrow made butterflies appear in the pit of my stomach. It took me a while to fall asleep because I couldn't stop thinking about him, but finally I managed to drift off.

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><p>The next day I had a hard time concentrating. Hermione and I helped Mrs. Weasley prepare lunch, but I couldn't really focus on the conversation they were having... something about O.W.L. results coming out in a couple of days. I just focused on the potatoes I was peeling and let my mind wander.<p>

That set the tone for the entire day. I was just distracted and spacy the whole day, so my friends just ignored me. I think they understood that I was just excited to see my boyfriend. We weren't sure when he would be reaching so we just sat in the living room and waited.

It was getting pretty late. I started to feel a little bit nervous, because it was close to midnight. Soon Ginny decided to head to bed, followed soon after by Hermione.

"I can wait up with you if you want," offered Ron, after I had caught him yawning.

"No, Ron. It's fine. Go up to bed. I'll wait up for him," I said. He ruffled my hair before leaving me alone in the living room. I decided not to think about why he was so late, and focus on something else instead. I picked up a quidditch magazine that was lying on the coffee table and started flipping through the pages, just looking at the pictures. I definitely didn't have the patience to read the articles right now.

One o'clock came and still no Harry. My own eyes feeling heavy and I was scared that I was going to fall asleep before he got her. Half an hour later, and Harry still was no where to be seen. I had flipped through Quidditch Digest for the fourth time now, so I chucked it back on to the table. I was feeling too restless so I got up from the couch and went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea while I waited.

To my surprise, Mrs. Weasley was sitting in the kitchen, drinking her own cup of tea.

"Ava, what are you still doing up, dear?" she asked.

"I wanted to wait up for Harry," I explained.

"Of course you do. He was supposed to be here earlier than this. I don't know what's keeping him," she sighed. Mrs. Weasley was sharing my worried expression, and it just made me feel worse.

"Well, he's with Dumbledore. I'm sure he's safe," I said, though I knew that I was trying to convince myself more than Mrs. Weasley. She poured my a mug of steaming tea and I took the seat beside her. She asked me about school and the classes I was looking forward to, just to have something to do.

"Well, Runes is going to be fun, again. I've heard that N.E.W.T. Level is really –" I was cut off by a knock at the door. My heart leapt and I jumped off the kitchen stool. I was about to pull open the door when Mrs. Weasley caught my arm.

"Wait," she said. Then she spoke in a louder, clearer voice. "Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Harry," said the voice. I was about to reach over for the doorknob again but she stopped me.

"Where did I first meet you, Harry?" she asked through the door. She was just making sure it was him.

"On Platform 9 3/4. You showed me how to get onto the platform," he answered. She smiled at the memory and pulled open the door. Harry was standing on the front step, looking tired but smiling broadly.

Mrs. Weasley pulled him into the house and glanced around the front yard for a moment before closing the door and muttering a spell on the door. Then she turned to Harry.

"Harry, dear! It's so good to see you," she said, wrapping him in a motherly hug.

"It's good to see you too, Mrs. Weasley. Sorry I'm here so late. Dumbledore had some business to attend to before dropping me off," he explained.

"Of course, dear," she said, pulling away. Harry then turned to me. His brilliant green eyes connected with mine and I felt my heart beat increase. I could feel the familiar feeling of butterflies that I got every time Harry looked at me.

Without a second thought I threw my arms around Harry and pressed my lips to his. He seemed surprised but only for a moment. He kissed my back gently, licking my bottom lip with his tongue. I was suddenly very aware of Mrs. Weasley's presence. I pulled out of the hug.

"Hey," I said quietly, feeling my cheeks burn.

"Hey," he replied, with a smile. I turned around to look at Mrs. Weasley. I was expecting a reproachful look, but she was just grinning at us.

"Harry, leave your trunk here. We can put it upstairs in the morning! Good night, you two," she said, with a kind smile. As we walked out of the kitchen I caught her eye. She gave me a knowing smile , which just made my crimson cheeks glow brighter.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related! **_

**So, Chapter 4 is up! Please let me know about any feedback/comments that you have! It's always really helpful! Thx!**

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><p>Harry lead me, hand in hand, up the staircase. We couldn't go up to Ron's room because he was sleeping, and Ginny and Hermione would be asleep in the other bedroom. Instead, he lead me to Fred and George's empty bedroom. When he opened the door we were greeted by the smell of burning plastic that was radiating from the stacks of cardboard boxes piled around the room.<p>

He lead me to the only visible corner of the bed and took a seat. I sat down next to him. I opened my mouth to ask him about his summer, but I wasn't able to get my words out. As soon as I sat down, Harry pulled me closer and gently touched his lips to mine. I reacted by placing my hand on the side of his face and caressing his cheek. His hand travelled down my back and settled near the waistband of my jeans. I trailed my hand down his neck and to the buttons of his shirt. Without thinking, I pulled at his top button, exposing some of his creamy skin.

Harry's lips left mine and trailed soft kisses across my jaw and to my neck. He gently sucked on my neck. I could feel his warm breath on my skin and relished in the tingling sensation. This was definitely new for us. I mean, we had absolutely kissed... a lot... but we hadn't done much else than that.

After talking to Ron about Mrs. Weasley's concerns regarding us sleeping together I hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. I had thought about it before, of course, but Harry and I were so young so I didn't really expected to have to deal with this yet. Then again, as I sat here enjoying the sensation of Harry's lips on my skin, I couldn't help but hope.

To my disappointment, Harry pulled away. He was wearing a smug grin on his face.

"So, how was your summer?" he asked. The sudden change of subject made me laugh loudly.

"It was alright! Relaxing! Yours?" I asked.

"Probably not as good. I was with the Dursleys after all," he shrugged.

"Were they really terrible?" I asked, sympathetically.

"As bad as they've always been," he sighed.

"Well at least you're here now. I still can't believe that Dumbledore brought you here," I responded.

"Yeah. I was surprised too. I didn't even pack before he reached because I thought it sounded too good to be true," he admitted.

"I can imagine. Was he really late picking you up?" I asked, referring to his late arrival at the Burrow.

"No, he got there on time. We actually had to take care of something after he picked me up," he explained.

"Take care of something? What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"He wanted me to help him talk to someone about being a Professor. After Umbridge left, the Defence position is opened. We went to his house. I don't think I really did anything though, but apparently I helped convince him. According to Dumbledore, Slughorn likes to meet 'famous' people. He said that Slughorn only agreed to come back because he would want to befriend me, I guess," he explained.

"You're quite the celebrity, Mr. Potter," I smirked.

"Shut up! It's so frustrating! And Dumbledore wants me to allow Slughorn to collect me!" he sighed.

"Why? That's a weird request," I commented.

"I'm not sure. But I suppose that Dumbledore has his reasons," said Harry.

"Well, yeah," I agreed.

"So, what about you. You can't just say that your summer was good! How is your grandmother and your brother?" he urged.

"They're doing well. It was nice to see them," I smiled.

"Did you... talk to your grandmother? About what Dumbledore told you at the end of last year?" he asked cautiously.

"About how she has Elemental powers?" I asked. He nodded in response.

"We talked. I told her that I knew about her powers. She said that she had always wanted to tell me but she feared for my safety. Dumbledore had explained the dangers that the Death Eaters posed to us, so keeping me ignorant and hidden was her only option to keep me protected," I explained.

"Yeah. And what did you say to that? Were you angry?" he asked.

"No, not exactly. I wish she would have told me, of course. At least she could have told me about the magical world. But I also understand the position she was in. If it had been me, and my loved one was in danger, I probably would have lied to protect them too," I admitted.

"Yeah, I would too. It was an unfortunate situation, but at least she can be honest with you now," he said.

"Yeah. I suppose. It was weird though. Even though I understand the situation, it doesn't mean that I can fully forget about the years of lies," I shrugged.

"I think that you're being a little bit harsh. She loves you, and it was the only way she knew to keep you safe. I mean it's not like she has a wand to protect you," he reasoned. I hated it when Harry was right...

"Fine. I guess you're right. I know that she only did it because she wanted to protect us. When did you get so smart, huh?" I joked.

"Well, if you ever let me get a word in then maybe you would have noticed earlier," he teased. I playfully gasped and smacked him on the arm.

"Just for that, I'm going to go to bed now! I will see you in the morning," I said, before getting up and leaving the room. As I walked out the room I could have sworn I heard him laughing at me.

* * *

><p>When I got up the next morning, Mrs. Weasley was waiting for Harry, Ron, Hermione and I in the living room. Once we were all downstairs for breakfast, she requested that we all join her on the couch. I knew what was coming, but that didn't stop me from being nervous.<p>

"I wanted to have a little chat about some rules that we have in the house. I have many kids and have made this speech several times before, but it has been important every time. I've never mentioned this before because I didn't think it was necessary, but since you are all in relationships now I feel that I should say something. I understand that you are all in love, and that you may want to... express that love. I also acknowledge that you are all old enough to make your own decisions. If you do choose to express yourselves, I ask that you are responsible and safe. It is understandable and inevitable to want to do these things, but you must make sure that you think about possible consequences as well," she said. I had expected her to expressly forbid any of those "expressions" in her house, so her calm and practical approach was a shock. I glanced over at my friends sitting beside me on the couch. Their expressions ranged from extreme embarrassment to amused surprise.

"Do you all understand?" she asked us.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," we said.

"Alright, good. Well after you all have finished breakfast, we are going to head over to Grimmauld Place today. Arthur and I have a Order meeting tonight and Sirius has been desperate to see you all. I told him we would come over as soon as Harry got here," she said. I forgot my embarrassment, and thought about the prospect of seeing the Order members. I would get to see Athena, who was currently living at Grimmauld Place. But the thing that I was most excited about was the thought of being able to see Ben. I asked all the Order members that came to the house how Ben was doing. Everyone told me that he was just fine but I knew that I wouldn't really believe it until I saw him myself.

I shovelled down my breakfast as quickly as possible. As soon as I was finished I went upstairs to Ginny's bedroom got ready. I was the first person back in the living room. I had to wait for a bit before Hermione and Ginny joined me on the couch.

"Where are those boys? Honestly, they take longer than we do to get ready!" I snapped.

"Oh, Ava, relax! Ron and Harry need time to put on their make up and do their hair," said Ginny with a laugh. We spent the next few minutes teasing them (behind their backs, of course) until they finally descended from the stairs.

"Mrs. Weasley! We're ready!" I exclaimed immediately. She appeared in the living room ready to go.

"Excellent! We're going to be travelling by Floo powder today. Take a handful of powder," she said, passing around a tin of the grey, sandy substance. I took a big handful and waited for my turn in the fire. Harry was the first to go through, then Hermione and Ron. Ginny went after them. Finally, it was my turn to go. I stepped into the cool flames.

"GRIMMAULD PLACE," I screamed and threw the powder into the fire. Suddenly I was spinning through the Floo network. I shut my eyes tight and tucked my elbows in, waiting for the spinning to stop. Finally, it stopped and I shot out of the fireplace covered in soot. I jumped up and moved away from the fireplace.

"Let me help you," said Harry. He came up behind me and began brushing the ashes off my shirt.

"Thanks, Harry!" I said, appreciatively. I heard a noise behind me and saw Mrs. Weasley climbing out of the fireplace.

"Come, kids. Sirius should be in the kitchen," she said, leading the way through the dark, grimy halls. We approached the kitchen and heard voices. Mrs. Weasley pushed open the door. Sirius was sitting at the table talking animatedly with Athena. But that wasn't what I was looking at. Seated beside them was Ben.

Before they had even acknowledged our presences I launched myself at Ben, throwing my arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace. He hugged be back for a minute before pulling away.

"Ben! You're alright," I said, embarrassed by the tears that were stinging my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry, Ava. About not telling you the plan and everything," he said.

"Don't worry. Dumbledore explained everything to me. I can't believe you're doing this though. How have things been?" I asked.

"Things have been difficult. I've been spending as much time at work as I possibly can. It's just as bad as Christmas break," he admitted. I felt my heart break for my friend.

"I'm sorry that you have to go through this," I said.

"Don't worry about me. I'm a big boy," he smirked. I wanted to ask him more, but I realized that we were surrounded by other people. I decided to wait until we were along to talk more about it.

I turned my attention to Athena and Sirius.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it. I know that there isn't a whole lot happening now, but the story is just getting started! There will be exciting stuff coming up! <strong>


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>The entire day, I waited to get a chance to talk to Ben alone. Unfortunately, that proved to be impossible because we were both busy all day. Shortly after we reached Grimmauld Place, Mrs. Weasley set us to work on cleaning the library. It was pretty much the only place left in the house that hadn't been cleaned yet. Apparently Athena had been scrubbing the entire house from top to bottom since she moved in a month ago. Sirius seemed to be thrilled to have her there. They got along really well, and I suspected that Athena had a bit of a crush on Sirius. I would have to ask her about it later.<p>

When Mrs. Weasley told us that lunch was ready, I was hopeful that I would be able to have a chat with Ben, but alas, everyone was already in the Order meeting. The meeting lasted for several hours. By the time it was finished, Mrs. Weasley insisted that we all sit down together and have dinner. I sat beside Ben and we talked about me going back to school, but I still wasn't able to ask him anything important.

"I'm stuffed! That was great, Molly," said Sirius, patting his stomach.

"Thank you, Sirius," she said.

"So, Harry, are you looking forward to school?" he asked.

"Yeah. I can't wait to get back to quidditch!" he said enthusiastically.

"That's what your father said every year at the end of summer," Sirius laughed. Ron, Harry and Sirius launched into a discussion about the Quidditch World Cup that was taking place in Romania this year. Hermione was explaining, to a very bored looking Ginny, about the benefits of taking Arithmancy. I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to slip away with Ben.

"Hey, let's go talk for a bit!" I suggested, getting up. He followed me out of the kitchen and into the large sitting room. We took seats on one of the couches.

"So, Ben. How are you doing? Actually?" I added, not wanting to hear the same crap about things being fine.

"They're alright I suppose," he shrugged.

"Now we both know that's not true. Seriously, how are they treating you?" I demanded.

"Better than they treated me at Christmas. I'm staying with the Malfoys so I've been having to spend a ton of time with Draco," he said. I pretended to gag.

"Ugh. I'm sorry. Is he being nice?" I said, sarcastically.

"Eh, he's not that bad. Don't get me wrong; I would rather not be there, but Draco is a lot more quiet at home so I don't really get any trouble from him," Ben explained.

"Draco _Malfoy_? Quiet?" I laughged.

"Yeah. Honestly, I think he's miserable with those people, but he acts tough because he has to. His parents are already in Voldemort's bad books. I don't know what happened. A few weeks ago, Draco had some kind of meeting and ever since, he's been different," said Ben.

"Different how?" I asked.

"Just more quiet. He hardly leaves his bedroom anymore. He isn't even rude to the servants. I've tried asking him, but he just snaps at me to leave him alone," explained Ben.

"Wow. I can't picture Malfoy like that. But everything else is ok? Have you seen Voldemort since...?" I asked.

"No I haven't. He hardly stops by the house. Speaking of that night... I'm really sorry," he started.

"Don't worry about it! I understand that you had to do it!" I promised.

"Yeah, but I'm still really sorry. I wanted to tell you about it so badly. I was so scared that I was accidentally going to hurt one of you with the fire," he told me.

"Well you didn't, so stop worrying about it!" I demanded.

"Thankfully I didn't. You did amazingly that night, though. I didn't know you could do that with the trees," he said.

"Neither did I. I only practiced it once, but I passed out right after. I was just desperately thinking about something to do and that was the only thing that I could think of," I explained.

"You were brilliant. You actually took out a few of the Death Eaters too!" said Ben.

"Really? How many?" I asked, happily.

"Four! Voldemort was livid when you escaped! I have never seen anyone that angry! He thought that I had helped you somehow!" he said.

"Oh, no! He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No he didn't. I think he just needed somebody to blame. I'm too valuable to him though, so I doubt he would risk offending me, in case I got angry and left. I suppose that's why I'm being treated so well," said Ben.

"Well, I'm glad you're doing ok. I've been so worried about you. I was imagining terrible things. I kept thinking that they were torturing you or hurting you! Even after Dumbledore assured me you would be alright," I said. Just then, someone walked into the sitting room.

"There you are. We were wondering where you had gone off to. Ava, dear, we're leaving now," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Ok, I'll be out in a minute," I promised. She left us alone again.

"Well, I suppose I have to go now. Please keep yourself safe," I ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," he joked, pulling me into a hug. I held on to him tightly before pulling away.

"You should write to me and let me know how you're doing," I suggested.

"Alright. I'll keep in touch. Now go!" he said. I smiled, and left him alone in the sitting room. Everyone was waiting for me in the hallway.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting," I apologized.

"Not at all, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, passing me the tin of Floo powder.

* * *

><p>The next morning, I was awoken by a frantic Hermione.<p>

"Avery! Wake up! Our O.W.L. results and Hogwarts letters have just arrived!" she said, shaking me vigorously.

"Alright, I'll be down in a minute," I promised. I got out of bed and stomped downstairs to the living room. Ron and Harry, looking just as groggy as I did, joined me downstairs a minute later.

"Ron, this is yours. Harry, here you go. And Ava, this one is for you," said Hermione, passing out the sealed envelopes. As soon as I had the paper in my hand, I suddenly felt wide awake. I knew that my exams had gone fine, but my hands still shook as I ripped off the envelope.

_ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS_

_Pass Grades: _

_Outstanding (O)_

_Exceeds Expectations (E)_

_Acceptable (A) _

_Fail Grades:_

_Poor (P)_

_Dreadful (D)_

_Troll (T)_

_AVERY NICOLE ALEXANDER HAS ACHIEVED_

_Ancient Runes: O_

_Arithmancy: E_

_Astronomy: O_

_Care of Magical Creatures: O_

_Charms: O_

_Defence Against the Dark Arts: O_

_Herbology: E_

_History of Magic: O_

_Potions: E_

_Transfiguration: O_

I stared, open mouthed, at my results! I had done well! I had received ten O.W.L.s! I looked around at my friends, who all looked rather pleased with themselves.

"How'd you do, Ava?" asked Ron, exchanging parchments with me. He had done really well, considering the fact that the boy had barely done any studying!

"Not bad, Alexander," he smiled.

"Why, thank you Weasley. You did alright too, I suppose," I joked. I peeked over at Harry's results, which were pretty much the same as Ron's, except for the Outstanding that he received in Defence.

"Hermione, what about you?" I asked.

"I did... well," she said, with a small smile.

"All Outstanding?" I said.

"Not all!" she objected. I snatched her paper away, to see that that she had gotten an Exceeds Expectations in Defence.

"Hermione! You did brilliantly! Congratulations!" I said. Harry had moved on to his Hogwarts letter. He pulled out the thick stack of parchments, and something fell out of the envelope. It was a shiny badge. At first I thought that it was a Prefect's badge, but when I looked closer I saw that it was a quidditch captain badge.

"Harry! You're captain of the Gryffindor team! Congratulations!" I cried, throwing my arms around him.

"I can't believe this! This is unbelievable!" He said, still staring at the badge in awe.

"So, will I still have a place on the team, Captain?" I teased.

"I don't know, but I suggest you start sucking up to me now," he whispered, giving me a soft kiss. After getting our O.W.L. results and finding out Harry's news, we were all in a really good mood. We spent the rest of the day playing quidditch in the garden, while Hermione read a book while lying in the grass.

Mr. Weasley finally called us in for dinner. We trooped inside, sweaty and tired, and enjoyed a lovely dinner. Fred and George were sitting at the table when we came inside. After washing up and changing into clean sweats, I took a seat beside George.

"So, Georgie, tell me about the shop? When am I going to get to see it?" I demanded.

"You can come whenever you want! Fred and I will give you the grand tour!" he promised.

"I really want to go! I think your mom said something about us going to Diagon Alley tomorrow," I said.

"Alright! Please do come along! We have some new products that we thought you may enjoy," he winked.

"Oh, I am intrigued," I said.

"Maybe we should send some stuff back with you. I'm not sure what Filch will do without us. Maybe you can carry on our legacy," he joked.

"Carry on the legacy? Why wouldn't you ask Ron?" I asked.

"He means well, but I don't think he has the guts. He's a Prefect after all," said George.

"I guess I see your point. Alright, I can try, but I'm not promising you anything," I told him.

"Not to worry. I've got detailed instructions for pranks that we never got to pull! You can have them!" George promised.

"Why thank you!" I said. That night I went to bed exhausted, but really happy.

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><p><strong>Ah! I'm sick of writing about the time leading up to school! They're going to be back at Hogwarts VERY soon though! Possibly even in the next chapter... Hooray! Review and let me know what you thinkkkkk! <strong>


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Thanks for reading and if you have some time, please review and give me feedback!**

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><p>The next morning, Mrs. Weasley told us that we would be taking a trip to Diagon Alley to pick up our books and supplies. She also agreed to let us visit Fred and George's shop.<p>

Diagon Alley was bursting with students picking up their Hogwarts supplies! It seemed like every was starting to get ready to go back to school. Reluctantly, Mrs. Weasley agreed that due to the crowds, it would be better for us to split up. She left with Ginny, leaving me, Harry, Ron and Hermione alone to pick up robes and potions supplies. As we weaved through the mass of people, we were stopped by several friends. We first ran into Parvati and Padma Patil, then we stopped to chat with Justin Finch-Fletchley.

After Ron and Harry had purchased their new robes, we wandered back into the street. As we walked, I saw a tiny girl shopping with her mom. This was probably her first time shopping for Hogwarts supplies. She looked so nervous, but also stared in awe at the magic around her. I wasn't really paying attention and accidentally slammed into someone, knocking them over.

"Shit! I'm sorry about –" I cried, but was cut off when I saw who it was. Cho was picking herself off the ground.

"Watch it!" she snapped. Then she looked over at my friends beside me.

"Oh, Harry! How are you?" she asked, turning her back to me and placing her hand on Harry's arm. Her action made me burn with jealously. I glanced at Hermione, who struggling to keep a straight face as she watched Cho's shameless attempt at flirting.

"I'm well, thanks. And yourself?" he asked politely, repositioning himself so that she had to drop her hand. She frowned for a split second, but then brought back her cheery smile.

"I'm alright. My parents have been gone for most of the summer, so I've been quite lonely," she said, with a timid smile. I dramatically rolled my eyes behind her back, causing Ron to snort, though he quickly turned it into a cough.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Anyway, Cho, we were just on our way to do something so I suppose I'll see you at school," said Harry.

"Don't miss me too much," she joked, before walking away. The jealousy I was feeling took over, and I grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him into for a kiss. He kissed me back for a second before pulling away.

"Is someone a little bit jealous?" he joked, linking hands with me and continuing down the street.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, sticking my tongue out at him.

"Alright, if you say so. But just for the record, there is nothing between Cho and I," he promised.

"Well, good," I said, with a smile. After that, we decided to split up. I really wanted to get Harry's birthday present so I made an excuse about looking at some books about Runes, which immediately prompted them to walk off in the opposite direction. As soon as they were out of the way, Hermione and I hurried off. I knew what I wanted to get him, so we we stopped off at the quidditch store first. Since he was now the captain, I figured that something quidditch related would be meaningful, yet useful. I bought him a book that I had seen in a quidditch magazine I had been reading earlier. It was full of plays and tactics that I was sure would be really useful for him. The book contained many useful spells and tricks that would help out in bad weather conditions, or in cases of injuries. There were even moving demonstrations of different plays. Harry would love it!

We met up with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, as well as the boys, at Flourish and Blotts an hour later.

"I got all of your books, dears. I've already sent them back to the house," she told us.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley!" we said appreciatively, staring at the massive line to pay for books.

"Shall we go to the twins' store now?" she suggested. We all agreed and walked towards it. There was no missing it. I could tell that the store was brilliant before I even walked in. There were people bustling in and out, some carrying huge Weasley Wizard Wheezes bags. There were fireworks bursting from the windows and chimney, and I could hear bangs and crashes from the other side end of the street.

We entered, and it was better than I had imagined. There were shelves and bins full of exciting and colourful products. The store itself wasn't very large, but was packed with more people than I thought possible. All the shoppers were Hogwarts students, and their nervous looking parents. I saw Seamus and Dean in one corner, loading there arms full of dung bombs, while Colin Creevey was trying to decide between two different types of Skiving Snackboxes.

I scanned the room and found Fred and George standing beside a large window display whispering to each other. I snuck up behind Fred quietly, and grabbed him from behind. He jumped in surprise and George and I burst out laughing.

"Well, hello there, my friends," I said, sweetly.

"Welcome to the shop! What do you think?" asked George.

"It's wonderful! It's even more amazing than I expected!" I exclaimed.

"We did our best!" said Fred. I began chatting with them about their various products. As Fred explained their newest development, which were Patented Daydream Charms, I glanced out the window. As I did, I saw Draco Malfoy walk past. He kept glancing over his shoulder, which looked too suspicious to ignore. I already knew that something with up with him after what Ben had told me.

"Sorry to interrupt, Fred. Do you mind if I catch up with you later. I have to go talk to Harry about something," I said, hurrying away. I found Harry, Ron and Hermione standing together by a large display of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs.

"Guys, I just saw something suspicious. I think Malfoy is up to something. Fancy a little walk?" I asked. They nodded, and we slipped out of the shop without anyone noticing. Just as we stepped outside, I saw Malfoy turning a corner. We hurried down the street after him, cautious to keep a safe distance behind him. He didn't seem to notice us though. Now that he was out of the main street, he seemed more concerned with speed, rather than stealth. He was walking so quickly that I was nearly jogging to keep up.

He stopped in front of a store and pushed the door open. We walked up beside the store, which happened to be Borgin and Burkes. Ron pulled out an extendable ear so that we could listen. As I looked at Malfoy, it was easy to see his physical changes. If possible, he was even more pale than before and he seemed to be even skinnier. But there was something else about him that was different; I could see it even when he was walking earlier. He wasn't walking with his usual strut, nor did he have his nose in the air. The Draco Malfoy I was looking at was looking seemed to be lacking his usual confidence. It was this, above all, that concerned me.

Malfoy was talking to the shop keeper, who was smiling pleasantly at him. He was talking about fixing something that he didn't have with him. Suddenly, Malfoy pulled up this sleeve and showed the old man something on his arm. The man's face changed from a kind smile, to a look of horror and fear. Malfoy continued to speaking out this item that needed fixing. He mentioned that the 'other one' would have to remain at the store. After a few more brief words, Malfoy left the store. We ducked into a nearby alley to avoid being caught.

I did't know what to make of what I had just seen. It was a little bit strange, but it seemed as though Malfoy was just trying to get something fixed. As we walked back to Fred and George's store, Harry whispered angrily beside me.

"He's up to something! Did you hear that? He needs something fixed! I wonder what it is," he hissed. I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes at him, because I knew that Malfoy was a sensitive subject, so I just walked silently beside him and listened to his conspiracy theories.

The theories didn't stop once we left Diagon Alley either. As we sat in the living room after dinner, Harry kept going on about what we had seen earlier.

"Ok. We get it Harry! Give it a rest!" I snapped despite myself.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I'm concerned by suspicious activities by a Death Eater's son! I'm going to bed," he muttered, getting up quickly and hurrying up the stairs. I instantly felt guilty that he was upset, but I knew he was being a little bit overly sensitive.

"I'll go talk to him," said Ron, standing up reluctantly and following after Harry. He was clearly as fed up with Harry's ranting as I was, but he obviously felt obligated to check on his best mate. I wasn't too worried though. Tomorrow morning, after he had some time to cool off, I would apologize and it would be done with.

"Was I wrong, Hermione?" I asked.

"No. I think he sometimes gets carried away, but maybe you were a little bit harsh," she admitted.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll fix it in the morning," I promised. Soon after the incident, Hermione and I decided to head to bed as well.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading chapter 6! Sorry about it being a little bit short! There'll be a new chapter sooooon though! :D<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>Today was Harry's birthday, and I had to go make up for our fight last night. I got ready and then went upstairs to Harry's room, gift in hand. I felt bad about the fight and I really just wanted to make up with him, especially since today was his birthday.<p>

When I reached the top floor, I tapped softly at Ron's bedroom door. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal Ron, who was running a comb through his red locks.

"Hey, Ron. I came to talk to Harry. Is he up?" I asked, trying to peer around Ron.

"Yeah, he's just in the shower. You can wait here if you like. I'm going downstairs to have breakfast," he said.

"Alright. Thanks Ron," I said, walking into his room and taking a seat on Harry's unmade bed. I could hear the shower on in the bathroom so I sat back and waited, trying to figure out what to say. I had never been good at fights or apologizing, especially because Harry and I hardly ever fought.

I heard the water shut off and the shower curtain being pushed aside. I could hear him moving around in the bathroom and then the door opened. Harry walked out of the foggy bathroom wearing only a pair of baggy sweatpants. His toned muscles, curtsey of the years of quidditch, glistened with water. He was wiping the fog off his glasses so he didn't even notice I was there. He put on his specs and then realized I was staring up at him.

"Ava! What are you doing here?" he asked. I noted that he didn't sound angry like he had last night, which was a good sign.

"Hey. I wanted to talk to you," I said. He slowly walked over to his bed and took a seat beside him. I could smell the soap on his bare skin and it made me shiver a little bit, but I had to control myself as this was definitely not the time to be flustered.

"Alright, talk," he said.

"Ok. I'm really sorry about last night. I know you only want to keep everyone safe, and I really respect that," I started.

"So then why did you get so angry about me talking about it?" he demanded.

"I wasn't angry. I was just annoyed and frustrated because I know how focused you can get on these things!" I explained.

"Oh, so that's a bad thing?" he interrupted.

"No, Harry. It isn't bad. It's amazing how much you care. I just don't want you to drive yourself crazy over something as insignificant as Malfoy going to Borgin and Burkes. We don't have any context about what Malfoy was talking to the shop keeper about. I know you well enough to know how caught up you can get when Malfoy is concerned," I explained. Harry's facial expression softened a bit.

"I guess I can get a little bit carried away. I just can't stand that guy," he said.

"I know, Harry. Neither do I! But obsessing about it isn't going to help anything," I said.

"Yeah, you're right," he sighed.

"I'm sorry," I said again, softer this time. He looked up at me and smiled. I reached over and pulled him into an embrace.

"I love you, Harry," I whispered.

"I love you too," he replied. Suddenly I remembered what day it was, and pulled away quickly.

"Oh! Just remembered! Happy birthday!" I exclaimed.

"Right. Thanks," he shrugged.

"I have something for you," I said, handing him the wrapped gift.

"You didn't have to," he started.

"Quiet. Just open it!" I said. He obliged and pulled off the gold wrapping paper. He pulled out the book and stared at it. He flipped through the pages and his eyes went wide.

"Wow. This is perfect! I'm really going to need this once quidditch starts," said Harry.

"So, you like it then?" I asked, still a little bit nervous.

"I love it. I can think of something I would like even more though." he said.

"Damn! What is it?" I asked, disappointed. Instead of answering me, he showed me what he was talking about by pulled me closer and allowing his lips to graze mine softly. I immediately got the hint and kissed him back. I pushed him a little bit, so that he fell back on to his bed and I positioned myself on top of him. I leaned down and kissed him roughly, running my hands gently over his naked chest. He let out a quiet moan, which just made me kiss him harder. His hands trailed up my sides, making me giggle.

"Stop it! That tickles," I laughed. He smiled, and started running his hands up and down my sides, making me shriek with laughter.

"Harry! Stop it!" I giggled, but he didn't. He flipped me over and continued to tickle me. I tried to grab his hands away from me, but he was too strong. I was laughing uncontrollably and stopped fighting against him, which finally caused him to stop. His touch turned more gentle. I looked up into his sparkling green eyes and felt a rush of happiness. I pulled his shoulders down towards me and let his lips melt against mine. I could feel warmth radiating off his bare skin, but it did nothing for the chills I was feeling. He reluctantly pulled away from me.

"If we don't get downstairs we're going to have to explain what we were doing. I think we should go to breakfast," he sighed. I knew he was right, but it didn't stop me from being disappointed.

"Fine! Just ruin _all _my fun!" I said, dramatically tossing my hair.

"Shut up!" he laughed, while he pulled on a clean white t-shirt. He took my hand and lead me down the staircase to the kitchen. Everyone was already eating breakfast at the table.

"Where were you guys?" asked Ginny with a sly smile.

"I was just giving Harry my birthday present," I said, feeling my cheeks turn warmer.

"Oh, is that what you crazy kids are calling it nowadays?" joked Ginny.

"Well, yeah. It was a book about quidditch. I thought he could use it when he's captain," I clarified, wanting to hide my burning face.

"Uh huh, sure," said Ron with a smirk. What a traitor!

"Oh, quiet! Leave them alone," said Hermione. I gave her an appreciative nod as we sat down at the table. Everyone wished Harry happy birthday and started handing him gifts.

That night several of the Order members came over for dinner to celebrate Harry's birthday. Remus and Tonks arrived, followed by Kingsley and the twins. Soon after, Hagrid surprised all of us by showing up at the Burrow, carrying a large, badly wrapped present.

It was a really fun night. Everyone stayed late into the night. Finally, we all said our goodbyes to the twins, who were the last to leave. As soon as the door was shut, Mrs. Weasley shooed us to bed, saying it was far too late for us to be up.

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><p>The rest of the summer flew by! We visited Grimmauld Place several more times, but it had become increasingly difficult to find a moment alone to speak to Ben about how he was doing. He had developed slight, purplish under eye circles, but other than that he looked healthy and happy, so I felt reassured.<p>

The rest of the time we spent playing quidditch or visiting the twins at their shop. It had been a much needed vacation for me, and I was sad to see it end... but alas, it had to end eventually.

The end of summer approached, bring with it colder nights and shorter days. On our very last day at the Burrow, we were stuck indoors packing up our trunks. I hadn't really unpacked at all so it only took me an hour to get all my possessions in order. Unfortunately, the others had much more to do than me, so I ended up sitting alone in the living room reading a book. Eventually, they all joined me downstairs. We had our last game of exploding snap before Mrs. Weasley finally decided that it was time for us to go to sleep.

The next morning was busy as usual. Mrs. Weasley was rushing around doing last minute bits of packing, while Hermione and I made and packed a dozen sandwiches for us to take on the train. Mr. Weasley had taken the morning off to take us to Kings Cross. He would have to take the Knight Bus this time, since he was not able to get any cars.

Once Mrs. Weasley had triple-checked that we hadn't left anything behind, she agreed that it was time to go. As loaded our trunks and owls (or cats in Hermione's case) out to the front garden and waited. Mr. Weasley stuck out his wand and seconds later, the giant Knight Bus pulled up in front of the Burrow. We hauled our trunks on to the train and took our seats.

I had never taken the Knight Bus before and it turned out to be one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, including all my encounters with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. We arrived at Kings Cross station just in time and I realized I had been clutching Harry's arm so hard that I had made sharp indents in his skin with my nails.

Minutes later, we found ourselves sitting in an empty compartment along with Neville and Seamus. Hermione and Ron left for their Prefect meeting. Soon after they left, Ginny and Dean joined our compartment. I was pretty curious to see how Ron was going to react when he saw his baby sister cuddled up with Dean in our compartment.

I was definitely not disappointed. As soon as he saw them he threatened to take points away from Gryffindor for public displays of affection. Hermione had to remind him that they weren't allowed to take away points until the term actually began. Ginny and Ron had a short yelling match after this, which ended in Ginny dragging a sheepish looking Dean from the compartment. For the rest of the train ride, Ron was grumpy, until he and Hermione had a patrol shift. When they finally came back to the compartment, he was wearing a large grin. I didn't even want to know why... I could already guess, as Hermione was sporting a similar smile.

The train finally came to a halt at the station in Hogsmeade. We filed out with the throng of other students and waited for a carriage to take us to the school. We were finally able to get into one, along with a couple of Slytherin girls who were clearly making fun of us. Instead of getting punching them, which had been my first instinct, I choose to take the high road, and I just smiled at them. It seemed to make them angrier than if I had hit them, which made it all the more satisfying.

As we approached the magnificent castle, my heart gave a familiar jolt. It was the same one that I got every time I saw Hogwarts after being away for the summer. As soon as I laid eyes on the breathtaking view of Hogwarts, all the nervousness and apprehension I had been feeling about coming back disappeared. I felt at home.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading Chapter 7! Hope you all liked it!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>We followed the crowds of students into the Great Hall. All around me were students gleefully greeting their friends, or sharing the latest gossip from the summer. Harry grasped my hand and lead me to the Gryffindor table. Immediately we were bombarded by greetings and questions about our summer. Lavender Brown came over and took a seat beside me before launching into her tales of summer. I listened politely, but couldn't help scanning the Hall.<p>

I saw Ginny and Dean kissing passionately at the other end of the table, much to Ron's horror. My eyes travelled from the Gryffindor table to the rest of the Great Hall. I noticed Ernie Macmillian and Hannah Abbott chatting happily over at the Hufflepuff table. My eyes moved to the Ravenclaw table, and they instantly landed on Cho Chang and her friends. They were whispering to each other, and kept glancing at me. I locked eyes with Cho for a split second, but she looked away.

I decided to ignore her, and instead I continued to scope out the Great Hall. I ran my eyes over the Slytherin table, Pansy Parkinson was complaining about something to one of her troll-like friends, judging by the snooty look on her pug face. Her arm was tightly linked with Malfoy's, who didn't look pleased to be there. No, in fact, he didn't even seem to be listening to Pansy, or anyone else for that matter. He wasn't laughing with his friends, or even making jokes about the Gryffindors like he usually would by this time. Instead, he was staring down at his empty plate with tired expression. There was something different about him today. Maybe it was his platinum blond hair, which was not slicked back as usual, but was rather greasy and messy. Or maybe it was his blood shot eyes and flushed cheeks. Either way, there was something off about him.

"Ava! Are you even listening to me?" demanded Lavender, snapping my attention back to the girl sitting to my left.

"I'm sorry, Lavender. I just saw something over there and it distracted me," I said, apologetically.

"No problem. Anyway, I see Parvati walking over here so I should go and say hi. She's been off with her new boyfriend," she giggled. I smiled as she turned and left.

"What was that all about?" asked Harry.

"Oh, Lavender was just telling me about her summer," I explained.

"Yeah, I know. She was talking to you for about five minutes before she realized you had stopped paying attention to what she was saying. What were you staring at?" he asked.

"Oh, um... I was looking at Cho. I think she was talking about me," I half-lied.

"Cho? Why would she be talking about you?" he asked in confusion.

"Oh, Harry. Come on! She was talking about _me _because I'm with _you_!" I explained, but he continued to stare at me in confusion.

"Harry! She still likes you! Everyone knows it!" I exclaimed with an amused smile.

"No! We're just friends! She knows I'm not interested in her!" he said.

"Oh, I know you don't like her but I don't thin she's fully gotten over you! I mean, I can't really blame her. You're kinda cute," I joked. Just as I said that, I noticed an owl soar through the Great Hall. It floated down towards me and landed in front of me. I pulled off the letter attached to his leg. It read:

_Dear Avery,_

_ Please come to my office after the feast. I like Acid Pops._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Albus Dumbledore_

I glanced up at the Professor's table. Dumbledore was talking to Professor McGonagall about something, but looked up and caught my eye. I gave him a slight nod to let him know that I would be there.

The feast was the same as always. The new students were sorted, and Dumbledore made a short speech. He introduced Professor Slughorn, who looked cheerful enough, I suppose. The biggest shock was that Professor Slughorn would be taking over Potions, and Snape would become the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. When Dumbledore announced this, I looked at Snape first who was wearing a satisfied smirk. Other than that, the food was just as delicious as always, and I had a fun time catching up with some friends I hadn't seen since last term. Even though I was enjoying myself, I was anxious for the feast to end so I could talk to Dumbledore!

Eventually, Dumbledore dismissed us for the night. I said goodnight to my friends and started towards Dumbledore's office.

"Ava, wait up!" I heard from behind me. I turned to see Adrien hurrying up behind me. I happily hurried over to him and gave him a tight hug.

"Adrien! How are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm doing alright. Are you off to Dumbledore's office?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am. Are you going too?" I asked.

"Yeah. Let's go!" he said, grabbing my arm so that we wouldn't get separated in the crowd. We made our way to the state of the gargoyle.

"Acid pops," I said. The gargoyle nodded politely, and moved aside. I knocked at Dumbledore's office door.

"Come in," he responded. We entered and took the same seats we had last year.

"Thank you for joining me this evening. I hope you both are well!" he said, with a kind smile.

"I'm doing well! I'm so excited to be back here! I can't understand how muggles live the way they do after being at Hogwarts," said Adrien.

"They do lack magical abilities, but muggles are very resourceful. That is something that wizards could stand to learn," he said, wisely. "And you, Avery?"

"I'm doing well. I"m glad you called us here this evening. I have some questions!" I said.

"I called you both here this evening to discuss new developments with your fellow Elements, as well as the plans concerning training for this year," he said.

"Avery, you will probably know most of this information. At the moment, Ben is staying at the Malfoy's house and is working at the Ministry of Magic. He is regularly attending Order meetings. Athena was working for the Order very closely since leaving the school. She has temporarily gone back to Greece to help in recruiting new members," he explained. That surprised me. Athena hadn't mentioned that she would be leaving when I saw her a week ago.

"Have you spoken to Ben lately? Is he doing alright?" I asked.

"He is doing alright, though I imagine it is difficult to live among the Death Eaters," he said.

"Ben did say that the Death Eaters are treating him surprisingly well. I just wish he didn't have to do this," I sighed.

"It is unfortunate, but he has also presented us with some useful information," said Dumbledore.

"Has he mentioned Draco Malfoy at all?" I asked casually.

"Ben has spoken about his drastic change in mood. I asked Ben to watch Draco's behaviour while he was staying at the Manor, but since he is back at school now, it will be difficult," said Dumbledore.

"I can keep an eye on him if you would like. This is related, so I guess it could be important. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were at Diagon Alley a few weeks ago and Malfoy was there. He went into Borgin and Burkes and was talking about getting something repaired. He showed the shop keeper something on his arm. I'm not sure if that's significant or important," I said.

"Thank you for telling me. However, I do not believe it is anything to worry about. Now, as for training this year, I feel it would be best to continue with weekly sessions. We will not have to worry about getting into trouble so much this year," he explained. "If there are no objections, I would like to schedule our first training session on Wednesday."

"That sounds alright," I said. Adrien nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. Now I am sure that you both are tired from the long journey, so I suggest you return to the Gryffindor tower," said Dumbledore.

"Good night, Professor," I said, leaving with Adrien. As we walked back I asked him more about his summer. He confessed that he was missing home a little bit, but was happy to be back. He explained that his father, who was away for business in Amsterdam had come back for several weeks over the summer and the entire family had gone on vacation together. He told me all about their trip to Spain and Italy for the entire walk back to the Gryffindor tower. Once we were back inside the common room, I realized how tired I really was and said goodnight to everyone before going upstairs to bed.

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><p><strong>Draco POV<strong>

I was sitting on the Hogwarts Express on the way back to school. The compartment I was sitting in was full of my friends from Slytherin. They were complaining about the mudbloods that were allowed on the train. Usually I would have joined in, but I just wasn't in the mood today. I had far too much on my mind at the moment to engage in this trivial conversation.

Now that I was going back, I would have to take action. I would have to figure out how to accomplish my mission from the Dark Lord. Ever since he had told me, I had been going over possible ideas, but nothing seemed feasible. Dumbledore was too smart for any of the rubbish ideas I had come up with. I only had one hope now.

Years ago a Slytherin called Montague had been stuffed in a cabinet that transported him to Borgin and Burkes, except the cabinet was broken. My plan was to transport Death Eaters from Knockturn Alley to Hogwarts so they could take care of the Order of the Phoenix, while I finished off Dumbledore.

It was proving to be an impossible undertaking though. As soon as the feast was over I made an excuse about going to see Snape about something, and instead went to the Room of Requirements, which turned into the Room of Hidden Things when I needed it to. I had been testing the vanishing cabinet but it wasn't working properly. I tried to send an apple back and forth between Hogwarts and the shop, bit it came back in pieces. I was fairly sure that the Dark Lord would not be particularly happy if I blew up his followers.

I had been sitting in the Room of Hidden Things for several hours now, trying to think of something to do. There was no hope anymore. If I didn't succeed in fixing this cabinet then I would have to resort to one of my more ridiculous ideas, such as giving him poisoned mead or something stupid like that.

If this plan didn't work, then I would be dead, along with my parents. As much as I couldn't stand them anymore for forcing me into this lifestyle, I also would not be responsible for their deaths.

Soon enough, my eyelids were heavy with exhaustion and my body was stiff and achey, so I decided it was time for bed. I would just have to return here tomorrow and try again. I could already tell that it was going to be a long year...

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><p><strong>Alright, that's Chapter 8! Hope you liked! I also hope you like the little Draco bits I'm adding in. He is one of my favourite characters and I really wanted to show his side of the story a little bit! Thankssss for reading! <strong>


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>The next few days passed by quickly. We received our schedules, and it turned out that I was in every class with Hermione. I was instantly cleared for Transfiguration, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Charms and Herbology. It turned out that since Slughorn had taken over Potions class, Harry and Ron were able to take it with their O.W.L. grades of Exceeds Expectations. It seemed like all the professors were trying to ensure that none of the sixth years would have any life at all! On the very first day of lessons, every single professor had a long speech prepared about how our N.E.W.T.s were just around the corner. I don't know what they're going on about! It was only sixth year! There was still all of this year and next before I had to start thinking about studying for N.E.W.T.s.<p>

Unfortunately, things didn't quite work out that way. By the end of the first day of classes I had already been assigned four foot-long essays, in addition to practicing the spell we had learned in Charms today.

The only bright spot for today had been Potions class. Professor Slughorn had been a lot more patient than Snape had ever been with us, and definitely a lot more cheerful.

"Harry! My dear boy! How are you doing?" asked Slughorn, as he entered the classroom.

"I'm doing well, thank you. Oh, this is my girlfriend, Avery Alexander," said Harry, pointing to me.

"Avery! You wouldn't happen to be related to Deborah or Nathaniel Alexander?" he asked.

"Yes, they were my parents," I said, surprised that he knew them.

"Ah, yes. You look a lot like your parents. I taught your mother while she was at Hogwarts. I was aware of her... abilities," he said slowly. My eyes widened slightly.

"Oh," was all I could say.

"Tell me something – did you inherit her gifts?" asked Slughorn. I wasn't really sure what to say, but clearly he knew about the Elements. I think he was only asking me as a formality, but he probably knew that I had inherited her powers. There was no point in lying at this point.

"Yeah, I did," I admitted.

"Your mother showed me once. She was incredibly talented. Such a terrible shame when she died," he sighed.

"I agree," I said, with a small smile. He gave me a kind smile before making his way up to the front of the class.

"Oh, Professor. Ron and I didn't realize that we would be able to take this class, so we don't have any supplies," said Harry.

"Not to worry. There are textbooks and supplies in the cupboards at the back," said Slughorn. Ron and Harry went to the back of the class to get their stuff. A couple of minutes later Harry returned to his seat, looking a little bit miffed and carrying an extremely battered textbook.

"Somebody's written all over this book!" he sighed, showing me the pages, which were all covered in tiny, messy handwriting.

"Your own book will get here soon! Don't worry!" I reassured. Slughorn set us working on brewing the Draught of Living Death, with the prize being a tiny bottle of Felix Felicis. Harry started out extremely frustrated, squinting his eyes as he tried to look past the handwriting. But then, something miraculous happened. His potion started bubbling, exactly like it was supposed to. I actually stopped working for a second to watch him in amazement. He dumped in the Sopophorous Bean and the liquid turned the perfect shade of lilac.

"Wonderful job, Harry. The clear winner!" exclaimed Slughorn, handing over the tiny vial of golden liquid. As we left the room, Slughorn assigned us an essay about the proper brewing of the Draught of Living Death. As we left the class I couldn't help but wonder how he had done it.

"Harry? That was really well done. Don't be offended or anything, but how did you manage that?" I asked.

"That textbook had alternate instructions! I decided to try them out and they worked well!" he admitted. Hermione was definitely not pleased by this. She grumbled about it for the entire walk to Arithmancy, even after the boys had left us to go to their free period.

Arithmancy turned out to be extremely boring today, and we were assigned our fourth essay of the day!

"They're out of their bloody minds!" exclaimed Ron as Hermione and I caught up with the boys at the end of the day. Ron and Harry had a free period while Hermione and I had been in Arithmancy.

"Who?" I asked.

"Our teachers! Do you know how much homework we have?" he whined.

"You were on a free period! Stop complaining!" I snapped, as we entered the Great Hall for

"We got three essays assigned today, all due this week!" cried Ron, sitting down at the Gryffindor table across from me.

"Ava and I just got assigned a fourth!" argued Hermione.

"Well aren't you two bloody geniuses?" he muttered as he began to pile his plate with chicken. I couldn't help but laugh at Ron.

"Ok, let's call a truce. They are being a little bit ridiculous aren't they?" said Harry.

"These are N.E.W.T. classes now. They had to prepare us for our exams," said Hermione.

"Alright, enough talk about lessons!" I demanded. "Harry, when are quidditch try-outs going to be?"

"I haven't even really thought about it yet. McGonagall gave me a list of people that want to try out. There are so many people that want to try out!" he sighed.

"Well, obviously Harry. You're captain now! Everyone wants to be a part of Harry Potter's quidditch team!" said Hermione.

"Well, let us know so that we can sign up!" I said.

"You don't have to sign up! You've already got a spot!" he said, rolling his eyes.

"I appreciate it, but I really don't want you to play favourites here. Ron and I will try out like everyone else!" I said.

"Speak for yourself, mate," said Ron. I heard a thud under the table, from Hermione kicking him.

"Ow! I mean, yeah. We'll try out," he said hastily, shooting Hermione a dirty look.

"Ok, ok. Are we all finished dinner?" I asked, glancing at everyone's clean plates.

"Yeah, let's go to the common room," said Ron. We all grabbed picked up our bags and left the crowded Great Hall. The common room was relatively empty, so we decided to take advantage of the rare silence to start some of our mountains of homework.

I sat across from Hermione and Harry. I noticed that Harry kept glancing at his watch nervously. After about an hour of productive studying, he got up and gathered his books.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Oh, I need to go to the library to look up a few things. I'm going to go drop my stuff off in my room first," he said with a shrug. He started up the boys' staircase, so I got up and went after him. I followed him into his bedroom.

"Hey, I think I'll come with you. I was going to go tomorrow, but if you're going to go now then I could tag along," I said.

"NO!" he said, a little bit too quickly.

"What's going on, Harry?" I asked, suspiciously.

"Oh, I just need some quite while I look these things up," he said, glancing down at his watch. I think he meant to be subtle, so that I wouldn't notice but obviously I did.

"Alright," I said slowly.

"I'll see you soon," he said, leaning in and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before walking past me and down the stairs. Well, that was weird...

I went back downstairs and resumed my seat beside Ron, who was doodling on his parchment. I decided to push Harry's odd behaviour out of my head and concentrate on the Transfiguration essay I was trying to work on.

"I'm going to go take a shower. I'll be back in a few minutes," said Hermione shortly after, getting up and leaving her books at the table. I nodded, before turning back to my parchment. Since my concentration had been broken, my mind wandered back to my encounter with Harry. I decided to talk to Ron about it. After all, Ron was Harry's best friend.

"Ron, can I ask you something?" I asked.

"Of course! What's the matter?" he asked, pushing aside his work.

"Well... do you think Harry was acting oddly earlier?" I asked casually.

"What do you mean 'oddly'?" he asked.

"I don't know. He kept checking his watch and when I offered to go with him, he made up some lame excuse about needing quiet in the library," I explained.

"I didn't really notice. I'm sure it's nothing though. Why do you ask?" he asked me.

"I don't know. Just curious," I lied, my thoughts instantly flashing to Cho.

"Listen, Ava. I know Harry pretty well. It's probably nothing, but if it is something important, he will tell you," said Ron. I nodded.

"Thanks, Ron," I said, turning my attention back to my paper. Hermione came back downstairs a little while later, with wet hair and clad in cozy sweats. She immediately sat back down and started working without a word to Ron or me.

An hour later, I was almost finished my Transfiguration paper. I glanced around the common room, and saw that Harry was still not back. I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing. I knew Harry well enough to know that two hours in the library was not his idea of an exciting evening.

Eventually, about half an hour later, the portrait hole swung open and Harry entered.

"Hey, guys," he said.

"Hi, Harry. You were at the library for a long time," I said, nonchalantly.

"Yeah, about that. I didn't go to the library," he said. My eyes widened.

"So you lied? Where were you?" I demanded, my mind instantly jumping to the worst case scenario (i.e. Harry and Cho in a broom closet somewhere).

"I went to go see Dumbledore," said Harry. Well that certainly was not the answer I had been expecting!

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><p><strong>Thanks for checking out this chapter! New one tomorrow! :)<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>"With Dumbledore? Why?" I demanded.<p>

"I didn't tell you about it earlier because I wasn't really sure if I was allowed to," said Harry.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ron, in confusion.

"During the summer, when Dumbledore came to pick me up, he told me that he wanted to start teaching me," he explained.

"Teaching you? Like for your lessons?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah. He thinks that learning about Voldemort will help me beat him. He's teaching me about Voldemort's history," he explained.

"So _that _is what you were doing today?" I asked, almost in relief.

"Yeah, what were you thinking? I'm assuming that you didn't believe my excuse about the library," he commented.

"That isn't important. So, what did Dumbledore say?" I asked, quickly changing the subject from my jealous assumption.

"Well, he told me about Voldemort's mother, and her father and brother. They were pureblood, muggle-haters. I guess I know where Voldemort gets it from now," he said, weakly.

"Wow," was all Ron said.

"Yeah. He showed me the memory of this ministry bloke who had to deal with them," said Harry.

"Deal with them how?" asked Hermione.

"The brother was harassing some muggles, so the ministry wizard had to let him know about his trial," said Harry.

"So, what is the point of all of this?" asked Ron.

"Ron! Learning about Voldemort's past is extremely important! It will help Harry to understand Voldemort's weaknesses!" said Hermione, indignantly.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what Dumbledore said too. He said that he would explain everything eventually, but it would take some time before I understood. I just wish he could get to the point! I don't feel like I've learned anything useful," he sighed.

"Just keep with it, Harry! Dumbledore wouldn't make you do all of this work if it weren't really important," I said, confidently.

"Yeah, I suppose so. I'm going to need all the help I can get," he said, wearily. I put my hand over his, reassuringly.

"Harry, I'm just as involved in this war as you are, so you're not going to be doing this alone. I promise," I told him, knowing it was something he needed to hear right now.

"Thanks, baby," he said, leaning over and kissing me on the lips.

"No problem, love. Now, it is quite late and I think I need to go to bed," I said, packing up my work.

"Oh, I can come with you, if you want," said harry, suggestively, causing butterflies to flutter around my stomach.

"Goodnight, everyone," I said, winking at my boyfriend before heading up to bed. I changed into a pair of comfy shorts before climbing into my warm bed. Surprisingly, I was asleep in minutes.

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><p><strong>Draco POV <strong>

It wasn't working! I had no other ideas left. Nothing I was doing was making a difference! If possible I felt like I was making everything even worse!

If I could just get the cabinet to Diagon Alley, I could take it to Borgin and Burkes and they would be able to fix it up! Then all my problems would be fixed. If I could just get this stupid thing fixed, I could have a pack of Death Eaters here in twenty minutes. Then all I would have to do was kill Dumbledore and then this whole ordeal would be finished. Not that killing Dumbledore would be that easy. He was a brilliant wizard and I seriously doubted that I would be able to pull this off.

I was trying not to think about that part too much. As soon as I had completed this mission, I would finally have the chance to get away from these people. I would finally be able to pack my things and walk away from this life that I never wanted!

Why didn't I do it now, you ask? Because of my mother. If I ran away right now, before my mission was complete, Voldemort would undoubtedly kill my parents. I honestly couldn't care less about my father. He was abusive to my mother and I, and had forced both of us to become Death Eaters.

My mother, on the other hand, was just a victim. I knew how much she hated my father and how much she had done to protect me from him at the risk of her own life. No, I was not going to let my failure or this stupid mission be the reason for my mother's death.

After I was gone, Voldemort would have to leave my mother alone because I hadn't failed my mission. Either way, by the end of this year, I would be free from this horrible life. I just wasn't sure if I would be dead or alive.

I left the Room of Requirements because I was too frustrated and angry to continue working anymore today. Unfortunately, I would just be back here tomorrow. As I walked down the hallway, I felt my eyes stinging a little bit as my eyes welled with tears. The corridor wasn't really full, but there were several people making their way back from the Great Hall after dinner.

I couldn't let these people see me like this, so I ducked into the first door I saw. As soon as I stepped inside, I realized that I was in the unused girls' lavatory. Apparently there was a ghost that lived in her, that was constantly flooding the hallway with her tears. At this point, I didn't really care anymore though.

I learned against one of the grimy walls and slid down to the ground. I rested my face in my hands and allowed the hot tears to fall from my eyes. All my life I had been told not to cry, and that I had to to be a man, so it had been years since I had really been able to let out any of my emotions other than anger.

It felt almost liberating, allowing myself to acknowledge the terror I was feeling. I didn't even bother to brush away the tears that cascaded down my cheeks as I sat on the floor of the abandoned bathroom and sobbed.

I was so focused on my problems that I didn't even hear the door to the bathroom open. Nor did I see the pair of shocked eyes that were staring at me right now.

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><p><strong>Avery POV (earlier that day)<strong>

I had a long day of classes today. Not only did I have Defence Against the Dark Arts with Snape first thing in the morning, but I was given yet _another _homework assignment! This time I had to translate a set of runes, and I still had the essays I had been assigned yesterday! To top it all off, I had a training session with Dumbledore and Adrien later that evening.

After class, I sprinted directly back to the common room and claimed a large table to myself. By the time my friends were walking through the portrait hole, I already had four books spread out in front of me and my hair was already in a ridiculous looking bun at the top of my head (a clear sign that I was in study mode and shouldn't be bothered for anything but grave danger).

I think Ron and Harry were a little bit scared of me in this state, so they opted to sit elsewhere while Hermione was brave enough to come over and take the seat across from me without a word. I had no problem with Hermione sitting there, because she was just as scary as I was in study mode. Together, we were able to glare enough at the other Gryffindors so that the common room was relatively quiet.

We worked productively into the evening. During this time, I had managed to get through nearly the entire paper I was working on. Right now, I only had to finish up the conclusion. When it was time for dinner, Harry approached our table timidly.

"Hey guys. Ron and I are going down to dinner. Are you going to come?" he asked.

"I can't go. I'm so close to being done with this," I said, pointing to my potions paper.

"Yeah, I can't either," said Hermione without looking up at him.

"Alright. Ron and I will bring you both some food," he promised before leaving with Ron.

I didn't waste any time thinking about how thoughtful Harry was, and turned my attention back to the work in front of me. An hour later, Harry and Ron strolled through the portrait hole, laughing loudly and each holding

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading! I know this one is a little bit short buuuut I'm putting out another chapter right after! Hooray! Hope you all like this chapter and please leave me feedback and let me know what you likedon't like! It's much appreciated! THX!**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>"Just one more line... and done!" I exclaimed, throwing my quill down.<p>

"Here!" said Harry, placing the plate of steaming food in front of me. Ron did the same for Hermione. I hadn't realized how hungry I was, and I immediately started stuffing food into my mouth.

"Hanks 'arry," I said through a mouth full of potatoes.

"No problem! What time do you have to leave for your meeting with Dumbledore?" he asked, deciding it was safe to sit beside me.

"Erm, any minute now. Adrien said he would come and get me before he left the tower, I said. I noticed that Hermione wasn't actually eating, and was still scratching at her parchment. I gave her a soft kick under the table, earning myself an angry glare.

"What was that for?" she demanded.

"Eat, Mione! You need to eat something! Put the Arithmancy down, and pick up a chicken leg," I said, sternly. Hermione rolled her eyes at me, but pushed aside her work.

"Fine," she sighed, taking a bite. I was fairly sure that the food would be pushed away as soon as I left for my meeting. Just then, Adrien walked up to our table.

"Hey, Ava. Ready to go?" he asked.

"Umm, give me like two minutes," I said. He nodded and went back to his friends, as I stuffed a giant bite of vegetables into my mouth. I took a few more large bites of food before we really needed to leave.

"Alright! Let's go," I called to him from across the common room. I grabbed a bread roll to eat on the way.

"Watch her. Make sure she eats everything," I said to Harry and Ron, indicating to Hermione's plate of food as I walked out of the common room.

"Acid pops," said Adrien to the gargoyle, who nodded and stepped aside. We travelled up the staircase and knocked on Dumbledore's office door.

"Come in," said Dumbledore from the office. I pushed open the door and walked inside.

"Good evening, both of you. Please be seated," he requested. We sat down in our regular seats.

"Now that we are resuming our training, we are going to have to make changes. Firstly, due to Ben and Athena absences, I am going to teach you two how to use your powers effectively without the others," he started.

"Adrien, for you, I am going to work on creating storms. It can be an extremely effective method blinding and confusing the opponent. I would also like to work on your control. When we were at the Malfoy Manor, you were spectacular. I would like to work with you so that you are able to perform that kind of magic on command. I think that you abilities at the Malfoy Manor were enhanced by the adrenaline and fear. I will be creating a small pond in my back garden with which you can practice.

"As for you, Avery, I would like to try a few completely new things with you. I think it is clear to all of us that you have an amazing handle on your abilities. One of the things that I would like to work on would be to ensure that you do not burn yourself out after performing extraordinary magic like you did at the end of the last term. I am sure that you would prefer not to be unconscious for nearly a week. Then there is another thing that I would like to work on as well. I have not mentioned this before, because I was waiting for you to become more comfortable with your powers. I am fairly sure that you are ready now. You are the controller of the Earth, which means you are also the controller of many of the creatures. As Earth, you are the governor of the Dryads and the Hamadryads," he said.

"What are those?" I asked curiously.

"Dryads and hamadryads are tree nymphs. They would be incredibly valuable to our side in a war due to their amazing healing powers and their extreme strength," he explained. "I am going to teach you to communicate and call upon them," he said.

"Wow. I can't wait for that. I have a question. I've talked to the trees a couple of times. Was I actually talking to the tree nymphs?" I asked.

"You are very observant. You are correct. It was very difficult to explain it to you back then, before you really understood your powers. Please forgive me for not telling you the whole truth," he said.

"It's alright. I understand," I said. "Are we going to start with this today?"

"No. That will have to wait for our next meeting, I am afraid. Neither of you have really used your powers in a little while, so I do not want to try anything too difficult today," he said to my disappointment.

We just practiced some of the basic stuff we had worked on last year, but I couldn't believe how rust I was. By the end of the training session I was rather sore and a little bit discouraged. It was as if all the progress I had made was gone.

"Do not be discouraged with your performance. You both did brilliantly today. It will take you another lesson or two to get used to your powers again. Truthfully, you both performed even better than expected. Now, I will send you a message regarding the time of our next training session," he said.

"Alright, thank you Professor," I said and started to leave when I thought of something.

"Sir, I have a question," I said. He nodded.

"Well, I was in potions class yesterday and Professor Slughorn said something. He asked me if I was related to my parents. When I told him I was he told me that he knew all about my mother's abilities. He asked me if I had inherited them," I explained.

"And what did you tell him?" asked Dumbledore, mildly.

"Well, I assumed that him asking me if I had inherited her powers was just a formality. If he knows anything about the Elements, he would know that it was passed on through families," I said.

"You are right. It was wise of you to tell him. Professor Slughorn will undoubtedly try to recruit you for the slug club," said Dumbledore.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Professor Slughorn likes to associate himself with famous and successful students, like Harry. Now that he knows who you are, he will definitely want to get to know you," said Dumbledore with a small chuckle.

"That's a little bit weird. But I guess it isn't that bad to have a professor that likes me," I said with a laugh.

"Good night, Avery, Adrien," said Dumbledore with the twinkle in his eye. I left the office with Adrien and we walked down the hallway to the Gryffindor tower.

"So, tree nymphs, huh?" said Adrien.

"I know. How cool is that!" I exclaimed, causing him to laugh.

"Ava!" I heard from behind me. I turned to see Neville Longbottom jogging towards me.

"Hey, Nev. What's up?" I asked.

"Hey. Sorry to bother you, but I need your help! I'm really confused by the runes that we were supposed to translate. Would you mind helping me for a few minutes?" he asked.

"Sure, Nev. I'll see you back in the common room, Adrien," I said. The little boy waved and continued on his way to the Gryffindor tower.

"Thanks for doing this. I was going to ask Hermione but she looked like she was going to hex the crap out of me if I tried talking to her," he said, making me laugh.

"Yeah... she's a little bit intense. Come on, let's sit," I said, leading him to the wall and sitting down against it. Neville took a seat beside and pulled out a few pieces of parchment.

"It's just this paragraph that is giving me trouble. This translation just doesn't make any sense," he said, frustratedly. I took the parchment and looked at the writing. It took me a few minutes to figure out the mistake.

"Oh, alright. Here it is. You translated this word wrong. It's build, like construction, not billed, like being charged money," I explained.

"Oh! That makes much more sense! Thanks mate!" he said cheerfully.

"I thought you hated runes, Neville. Why are you taking it?" I asked

"My grandmother really wants me to take it. I'm not bad at it, but it is a little bit tedious," he sighed.

"Well, I have a feeling you're going to go into herbology once you're done school, so you're probably not going to need runes anyway," I said.

"Yeah, that's the plan for now! I talked to Professor Sprout and she said that I could apply to be her assistant once I was done school!" he said, happily.

"Wow! Congratulations! That's really great!" I said.

"Yeah! Thanks, Ava," he smiled.

"Anyway, I'm going to go back to the common room! Good luck with the rest of the translation!" I said. I left Neville sitting on the floor and continued to the Gryffindor tower. I was halfway back when I suddenly felt something freezing cold and wet collide with my head. I shrieked out in surprise. I was drenched in icy water. I looked up to see Peeves, the Poltergeist, floating above me and carrying several water balloons.

"PEEVES! What are you doing?" I cried,, angrily.

"Should've watched where you were going," he said in his sing-song voice, before floating away.

_Great, now what_? I thought. I glanced around the hall and realized I was just steps away from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I decided to stop in there and get cleaned up before going back to the tower.

I pushed open the door, but was shocked at the sight that was in front of me. Sitting on the floor was Draco Malfoy. His eyes were closed, but I could see tears pouring down his cheeks. He was sobbing loudly enough that he didn't even hear me open the door. My first instinct was to run up to him and give him a hug, but I held myself together. This was Draco Malfoy, after all... he was the person I hated the most at Hogwarts. He just looked so sad and pathetic that I couldn't help but feel bad for him.

I turned and shut the door quietly behind me. As I walked back to the common room I considered what I had just seen – Malfoy crying on the floor of a girls' bathroom. I decided that I wouldn't tell me friends about this, but that didn't stop me from being curious. There was something going on, and I was determined to find out what it was.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Leave feedback and tell me what you likeddidn't like! THANKS!**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter series.**_

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><p>During the next few days I kept a close watch on Malfoy. I didn't see him upset again, but that was mostly because I didn't see him except for the few classes we shared. Now, he was barely at meals and he sat at the back of the class. He wasn't even being his usual obnoxious self. I hadn't even heard him calling anyone a mudblood since the beginning of school.<p>

I hadn't told any of my friends when I had gotten back to the common room that night. Apparently I had looked a little bit off when I returned, but I just played it off as exhaustion from the training session and excused myself to bed. Ever since then, I had been desperately looking for some clue as to what Malfoy's breakdown was regarding. Unfortunately, now that I had decided to figure out this mystery, I wouldn't be able to stop obsessing about it.

I wasn't the only person obsessing about Malfoy. After the encounter in Diagon Alley, Harry had become convinced that Malfoy was up to something. He had started watching the Marauders Map to see what he was doing. There wasn't anything too weird, except that there were a few times when Malfoy just disappeared off the map.

All of our suspicions had to be put on hold though, because quidditch tryouts were happening today! Harry had received the final list from McGonagall which consisted of nearly fifty names, even though there were only six positions that were open, and there was a good chance that Ron, Katie Bell and I would be coming back to the team. That would only leave the two beater positions and one chaser position open. There were going to be a lot of disappointed people.

I woke up bright and early on the day of tryouts and made my way down to the Great Hall wearing a pair of spandex shorts and a tank top. I was all ready for quidditch. Surprisingly, there were several people, all carrying broomsticks and clad in workout clothes, sitting at the table. All of the were talking nervously among each other. I couldn't help but laugh quietly when I saw two terrified looking first-year boys hauling giant brooms to the table. One of the boys was clearly trembling from nervousness. Poor little guys...

Unlike most of the people who were sitting at the table, I was feeling pretty confident. I had done quite well during the season last year, and I was knew that Harry, Ron, Katie and I worked really well together. By the time I had buttered my toast, I was joined by Ron. He definitely didn't look as confident as I did.

"Hey, mate. How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I'm alright," he said, though I wasn't convinced.

"Ron, you're going to do brilliantly today! Just try not to be so nervous!" I instructed.

"I can't help it! There are going to be so many people watching. And Harry told me there are six other people trying out for the position of keeper!" he whispered hysterically.

"Look, Harry has seen you play hundreds of times now. He knows what you're capable of, so don't worry so much. And I don't know why you're worried about the people watching. They've all seen you play already! You've played in front of thousands of people already," I said encouragingly.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks," he muttered, before piling his plate with food. Ron and I spent the next few minutes talking about the Charms quiz we had on Monday. It was the only thing I could think of to get his mind off the upcoming tryouts. We were saved by Harry and Hermione, who walked into the Great Hall and sat down next to us.

"Morning," said Harry, planting a brief kiss on my cheek.

"Ready for tryouts, captain?" I asked, with a sly smile.

"I hope so," he shrugged.

"You're going to have a blast," I said.

"Yeah, except when I have to cut people," he sighed. I rolled my eyes at my boyfriend and turned back to the pile of eggs on my plate. I glanced up at Hermione, who was busy reassuring Ron that he was going to do well, but was doing a much better job than I was (probably due to all the kisses that she was giving him in between sentences).

"Alright, we should probably go to the pitch now," declared Harry, even though there was nearly a half hour until we were supposed to be there. I got up and picked up my broom, followed by Ron and Hermione. When we reached the quidditch pitch we were greeted by the sight of quite a few people. Some were stretching and tying shoelaces, while others were trying to get some last minute practising done and were tossing apples between each other.

"Would you mind helping me with the quidditch balls?" Harry asked me.

"Of course," I said, passing my broomstick to Hermione to hold for me. I followed Harry into the broom shed. Harry closed the door behind me.

"Where are they?" I asked, looking around, but I felt his hand intertwine with mine. I turned around to face him. He pulled me closer to him and locked his arms around my waist.

"Have I told you today that I love you?" he asked, bringing his face just inches from mine and sending a shiver down my back. His bright green eyes were staring at me intensely.

"No, I don't think you have," I said.

"Well then, I love you," he said, closing the inches between our lips. His lips were soft against mine, yet there was still passion and hunger. I allowed him to deepen the kiss, as he licked my bottom lip as if asking permission. It was probably the most intense (and awesome) kiss Harry and I had ever shared. I removed my hands from his neck and brought them to his body, feeling the silky skin of his arms.

"Harry, what about tryouts?" I asked when we broke away for a breath.

"Screw quidditch. We've got plenty of time. I just really need you right now," he replied in a husky voice. I was about to reply, but he silenced me by connecting our lips again. I kissed him back passionately. The only time we had ever kissed like this was during summer holidays, when Ron walked in on us.

Harry's hand left my waist, and started travelling up my body, finally stopping at my collarbone. He gently ran his hands over my neck and very slowly moved down a little bit. He stopped moving and pulled away from the kiss. He didn't say anything, but just looked at me straight in the eyes, with a questioning look. He was asking my permission to continue down my body. Instead of answering him I pulled his face back to mine. He took this as a yes, and very cautiously moved his hands down to my chest, gently grazing my breast. I inhaled sharply at his gently touch, but continued to kiss him fiercely.

Then I heard voices outside the broom shed. Why the hell were we always being interrupted! I pulled away from Harry quickly just in time for the door to swing open. Madam Hooch was standing in the doorway.

"Ah, Potter. Here you are," she said, briskly.

"Oh, yeah. We were just looking for the quidditch balls," he lied.

"Yes, I brought them out earlier for you. You should probably come out to the pitch. There are quite a few people here getting ready," she said. We followed her out of the broom shed and looked out onto the field. She definitely wasn't exaggerating. The entire pitch was crowded with Gryffindors. I could even see a couple of Ravenclaws that were carrying broomsticks. Even the stands were filling up with people.

"Shit," I heard Harry mutter quietly beside me.

"Alright, gather around everyone," Harry called out loudly. Everyone stopped talking and surrounded Harry.

"We're going to start with the chasers, then the beaters, and we will end with keepers. But before we do that, we're all going to take a lap around the pitch. Oh and if you're not from Gryffindor, then please leave the pitch," he said, glancing at the group of Ravenclaw girls that were standing among the Gryffindors. Everyone else mounted their brooms and took off around the pitch. It was a good thing that Harry had decided to do this first, because he was able to eliminate a third of the people. When we were done, Harry called for all the chasers that were left to go to the pitch.

"Good luck," he whispered to me. I went to the centre of the pitch and noticed Ginny standing close by.

"I didn't know you were trying out," I said as I mounted my broom next to her.

"Yeah. I wasn't sure if I was going to, but I decided that I might as well," she said. I silently crossed my fingers that she would do well! It would be great to have Ginny on the team with us. Then it was time to take off. We kicked off in groups of three and had to toss the Quaffle between each other and score as many goals as we could in two minutes. The first three groups weren't very good at all. They were just laughing and joking the entire time. The third group was alright, but nowhere near the Gryffindor team standard. The fourth group consisted of me, Katie and Ginny. I think Harry had planned it this way, because we were the most likely candidates. We were clearly far better than any of the others. We worked so well together and managed to score fourteen goals in our two minutes.

"Excellent job!" cried Harry as we touched down on the ground. I glowed with pride. Harry named Katie, Ginny and me the three Gryffindor chasers. The beaters went next. Nobody had Fred and George's skills, but there were a couple of decent competitors. There were two that stood out.

Finally, it was time for the keepers. I looked over at Ron who looked like he was going to cry. There were only four people trying out for the keeper spot. Ginny, Katie and I kicked off and prepared to score against the candidates. The first two didn't do very well, both letting in each of the five goals that we shot at them. The third was a boy named Cormac McLaggen. I had never liked him, but from what I had heard, he spent every summer at quidditch camp.

Unfortunately, McLaggen did an amazing job. He only let in one of the five goals that we shot. He touched down and strutted off the pitch arrogantly. Last up was Ron. He flew up to the goal posts. I looked at him and gave him a reassuring nod, even though I was feeling really nervous for him.

All my worry was unnecessary though. Ron was brilliant! He blocked every one of the five goals that we sent to him. As soon he was done he took a victory dive and touched down on the ground beside Harry.

"Ron! That was amazing!" I said, jumping on him and giving him a tight hug.

"Yeah! Did you see that last one! I nearly missed it!" he sighed in relief. Now, everyone was gathering around Harry again.

"Alright, I have selected the team. The chasers will be Avery Alexander, Katie Bell and Ginny Weasley. The beaters will be Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote. And finally, the keeper will be Ron Weasley. Thank you all for showing up!" called Harry. The rejected competitors began to leave the pitch, but the team stayed in their spots.

"Our first practice will next next week on Wednesday. Great job all of you," said Harry. I walked up to Harry and interlocked my fingers with his, pulling him to the Gryffindor tower.

"Come on! I've got plenty of homework to finish," I said, as he lagged behind me.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he muttered behind me. I couldn't help but chuckle. I could already tell that this quidditch team was going to be unbeatable!

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><p><strong> Alright everyone, thanks for reading! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Leave reviews and let me know what you likeddisliked! It's always really helpful! THANKS! **


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>The aftermath of the quidditch tryouts was that Ron would not stop talking about McLaggen.<p>

"Did you see that McLaggen! He completely drifted off to the wrong side and let the goal in! What a tosser!" said Ron for the hundredth time since we had quidditch tryouts.

"Yes, Ron. We all saw it," said Harry, patiently.

"I mean, he sent to the left and didn't even block the hoop at all! It was just too easy for Ginny to score the last goal," chuckled Ron.

"Yes, mate. He missed it. We were all there," I said. I gave Ron, who was currently leaning against the large maple tree beside me, an exasperated expression. It caused him to fall silent immediately. Ron, Harry and I were sitting outside on the grounds, in the little garden I had created last year. Since the beginning of the school year, the garden had expanded dramatically, now stretching all the way to the edge of the lake. It contained an impressive collection of domestic and foreign flowers. I had grown a few more trees and bushes to keep my little sanctuary hidden so that none of the students would find it.

"Right, sorry," he muttered. We had decided to take a break from our homework to enjoy the lovely September evening. Hermione had decided to join us later, because she had some prefect duties to attend to first.

"No worries. You're excited. So am I. This team is going to kick some Slytherin ass!" I said cheerfully.

"Yeah. We're going to wipe that cocky smirk of Malfoy's face," said Harry.

"That's going to be brilliant!" said Ron.

"Hey, guys," I heard a voice coming up beside up. I looked up to see Hermione strolling towards up.

"Hey! You're finished already?" I asked.

"Yeah. McGonagall decided to let me go early because I've been helping with things all week. She does want to see Ron in her office though," she said, giving Ron a cheeky smile.

"Why me?" he demanded.

"Maybe because you haven't done any of your prefect duties since we got back to Hogwarts," she said in annoyance.

"Alright, fine. I'm going. I'll see you all later," he said before getting up and leaving us.

"Oh, and Harry, isn't your lesson with Dumbledore starting soon?" said Hermione. Harry glanced down at his watch in surprise.

"Damn, you're right. I'll see you both later," he said as he jumped up from his seat and sprinted towards the castle. Now, Hermione and I were left alone, sitting in the grass.

"So, Ava. How are you doing? I don't really feel like we've talked much since we got back," said Hermione.

"Yeah, I know. I'm doing alright, I guess. I'm starting to see that this year's classes are going to be brutal though!" I sighed.

"Tell me about it. I finally finished my Charms paper today!" she said cheerfully.

"That's good. I finished mine two days ago, but I still have to write the conclusion for my Arithmancy," I explained.

"That one's easy, so you should be done soon. So what else is new? How are you and Harry doing?" she asked.

"We're doing well, I think. We don't get to spend too much time together though with all the homework, and private lessons from Dumbledore, and now with quidditch practices starting up again," I sighed.

"Well, it'll be just like last year and you guys managed to spend plenty of time together," said Hermione.

"We're not going to be spending any time together if we keep getting interrupted," I sighed.

"What does that mean?" she asked. I hesitated for a minute, but decided that talking to Hermione may be a good thing.

"Can I ask you a question? And you have to promise not to tell the boys," I added.

"Of course. What's the matter?" she asked.

"How... far have you and Ron gone?" I asked quietly.

"How far... kissing mostly. Not much more than that. Why do you ask?" said Hermione.

"I was just wondering if you'd ever done _it_ yet," I said.

"Not yet, though it's been close. If I hadn't stopped it then I'm sure it would have happened," she explained.

"Why did you stop then?" I asked, trying to make sense of my own feelings.

"I wasn't really sure if I was ready yet. I'm starting to think that I am though. Why are you so interested? Did something happen with Harry?" she asked.

"Well, we've gotten close to, but we've been interrupted every time. First by Ron and then by Madam Hooch, though she didn't see anything. I'm starting to wonder what would have happened if nobody had bothered us though," I shrugged.

"Have you talked to Harry and asked him what he thinks about this?" asked Hermione.

"No I haven't! It's embarrassing to talk about! But I'm pretty sure he wants to," I admitted.

"Really? How can you tell?" she asked, curiously.

"I don't know. I can just tell in the way he's kissing me lately, and his comments, which have become more suggestive," I said with a shrug.

"Hmm, just see what happens, but if it's going too far just tell him to stop. Harry's a nice guy – he'll understand if you're not ready," said Hermione.

"That's the thing though. I'm not really sure if I not ready," I said.

"You'll be able to tell if it feels right. I'm sure of it!" she told me.

"I hope so. So, what about you and Ron? How are things going?" I asked.

"I don't know. We've been fighting a lot recently – about everything! School work, our prefect duties, about where to _sit_ in the Great Hall!" she exclaimed.

"Aw, I'm sorry. But you two have bickered like this for years," I said.

"Not this much though! It's as if we're upset with each other more than we're happy," she explained.

"Maybe you guys need some alone time. Why don't you plan out a romantic date, and then you guys can spend some quality time together just having fun!" I suggested.

"Actually, that's a really good idea! I'll plan something!" she said happily.

"There you go! I think we had better go inside, Hermione. It's getting kind of chilly," I said, wrapping my sweater around me closer.

"Yeah, let's go!" she agreed. We walked back to the common room, to find that the boys weren't back yet. I brought my book bag downstairs and began working on the conclusion of my essay. By the time I was reading through the finished product, Harry and Ron entered through the portrait hole.

"Hello, gentlemen," I said as they pulled up chairs beside me and Hermione.

"Why, hello there," said Harry.

"How was the lesson with Dumbledore?" I asked.

"Alright. We just did Occlumency today, so I don't have any new information," he informed us.

"Oh, that's a shame. What about you, Ron? What did McGonagall want?" I asked.

"She yelled at me for a few minutes about not doing my duties, and then she assigned me to patrol the hallways with bloody Pansy Parkinson!" he cried.

"Yikes. At least you made it back alive, right?" I joked.

"Yeah, I suppose," he said, though he didn't seem amused.

"That reminds me..." said Harry to himself. He rummaged around in his bag and pulled out the Marauders Map.

"_I solemnly swear I am up to no good,_" he whispered, tapping the old piece of parchment with his wand. The blank paper transformed into a map of Hogwarts. Harry's eyes scanned the entire thing until he found what he was looking for.

"Ah ha, there he is. What's he doing just pacing around the Astronomy Tower?" he muttered.

"You're watching for Malfoy again?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's up to something! I know it!" he said without taking his eye of the tiny dot that was labelled Draco Malfoy. It was rather strange though, him just walking around the Astronomy Tower, but I decided to ignore that and get back to my work. It was difficult to focus though when I was burning with curiosity.

As hard as I tried to concentrate on Arithmancy, the more I found myself glancing at the map that was sitting in front of me on the desk. Finally, it became too much. I had already resolved myself to figuring out what was going on, and this was the perfect chance.

"I need to go to the library. I forgot to look something up earlier," I lied.

"Alright, see you," said Ron.

"Oh, Harry, would you mind lending me the map, so I don't get caught. It is after curfew," I asked, as I didn't want Harry to see a dot labelled Avery Alexander walking up to the Astronomy Tower.

"But what about watching Malfoy?" he asked.

"I'll keep an eye on him," I promised.

"Alright, here you go. I'll see you later," he said, reluctantly passing over the map. I thanked him and exited the common room, turning towards the left stairs that lead towards the east wing of the castle.

It was just after curfew, so the hallways were deserted, except for Filch and Mrs. Norris who were roaming around on the second floor, no doubt looking for students out of their common rooms... clearly they weren't doing a very good job.

I still tiptoed quietly though the castle, still staring at the dot that hadn't moved from the Astronomy Tower. I walked up two flights of stairs and reached the little doorway that lead upstairs. I pushed it open as quietly as possible and crept up the narrow staircase that lead to the very top of the tower, where Malfoy was right now. The door at the top of the stairs was slightly ajar, so I peeped in, unconsciously grasping my wand in my pocket.

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><p><strong>Hooray! Chapter out early today! I know I have said that I tend to post at about 12 am PST, but i've decided that I'm going to start posting whenever I can, as I'm going to be really busy for the next few days. <strong>I'm going to try my best to put up more than one chapter a day too, because I want to make sure that I have a good portion of the story done before I go back to university!<strong>**

**I know this chapter wasn't terribly exciting, but it was a transitional chapter! Next chapter is going to be fun times!**

** Thanks for reading, and please leave me feedback, letting me know what you liked/didn't like! THANKS! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>I peered through the crack in the door, and could see Malfoy. He had stopped pacing around the tower. Now he was simply standing at the balcony and staring into the moonlit grounds. He looked like he was immersed in thought, judging by the strained expression on his face.<p>

I pushed on the door slightly so that I would be able to see him better, but the door creaked loudly, making me jump. Malfoy whipped around, his wand pointed towards the door.

"Who's there?" he demanded, in a distressed tone. I reluctantly stepped out of the shadows slowly and into full view. I held up my hands to show that I wasn't armed.

"It's just me, Malfoy," I said calmly. As I stepped closer to him I was greeted by the pungent stench of firewhisky. What was Malfoy doing alone in the Astronomy Tower drinking? I glanced at where he was standing before and saw a half empty bottle of alcohol sitting on the ground.

"What are you doing here, Alexander?" he snapped, still not lowering his wand. I could see that his hand was shaking A beam of moonlight was shining over him. I could tell that his eyes looked slightly red and puffy – like he had been crying for hours.

"I come here to think sometimes. I didn't know anyone was up here," I lied, feeling a little bit nervous due to his menacing tone.

"Get out of here," he hissed. I started to back away slowly, but before I could help myself I spoke.

"I saw you – in the girls' bathroom the other day," I burst out, though I regretted it almost immediately. Even in the dim light of the Astronomy Tower I could tell that the little bit of colour that he had drained from his cheeks.

"Wh-what?" he stuttered.

"Peeves dumped a water balloon on my head so I was going to go into Moaning Myrtles bathroom to get cleaned up, but you were in there," I explained.

"Who have you told?" he sneered, now sounding more panic-stricken than angry.

"Nobody," I promised.

"Oh," he replied in surprise.

"And I wasn't planning on telling anyone," I informed him.

"Why not?" he asked in curious shock. For a second he seemed to forget that we were enemies.

"I don't know. I guess it's not really my place to tell anyone. I don't understand though – why were you so upset?" I asked.

"That's none of your business," he snapped, finally remembering to whom he was talking.

"Malfoy, if I'm going to be keeping a secret like this for you, I think I deserve at lease something in return," I urged.

"You wouldn't understand. It's too complicated. You wouldn't even want to listen," he said wearily. He lowered his wand and slid to the floor, leaning against the wall. I don't know if it was a result of the firewhisky or what, but I took this as a good sign and lowered my hands, which I was still holding up to show that I didn't have my wand. I took a few more steps so I was a little bit closer to him and sat down myself against the opposite wall. I couldn't help but feel a little bit bad for the dejected form of my enemy sitting across from me.

"Try me. I understand complicated better than you think," I suggested.

"But you're one of them! I can't tell you!" he said quietly, looking down at his hands which were clasped in his lap.

"One of them? What do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as casual as I possibly could so as not to deter him from talking to me.

"One of _them_. One of Dumbledore's supporters," he sighed.

"This is about Dumbledore?" I asked in confusion.

"It's about Dumbledore, and you, and me and even Potter," he said with a bitter, humourless laugh.

"Me and Harry too?" I said, even more confused than before.

"Yeah, and my father and mother. The list goes on," said Malfoy, with a quiet sniff. I wondered if he had started crying again.

"You can tell me what the problem is..." I encouraged.

"How could I tell you? You would whip out your wand and kill me right now. And if I tell you, I'll be dead," he whispered, more to himself than to me.

"Draco, you can tell me," I encouraged, taking advantage of his drunken state. He didn't seem to be listening to me. Instead he was just muttering to himself.

"If I tell you, then they'll be dead too. I can't do that to them. But I don't know what to do. There's nothing I can do to fix it. I'm going to die, and there's nobody that can help me," he mumbled.

"Draco Malfoy! What are you talking about? Is someone trying to hurt you?" I asked, louder this time. I finally managed to catch his attention, and he looked up at me through shining eyes.

"_Him_. He'll do it. If I try to run away, he'll kill them and I'll be responsible. I can't do anything. I have to fix it to finish my mission, but if I don't then he'll kill them, and me," he said.

"Voldemort gave you a mission? And if you don't fix something then you are going to die. Have I gotten it mostly correct?" I asked. Malfoy flinched slightly at the use of the Dark Lord's name, but he nodded. When I came up here I hadn't really expect to find anything out. This far surpassed my expectations.

"What does he want you to do?" I asked as gently as I could, given the information I had just received.

"Kill him. Dumbledore," said Malfoy in a tiny voice.

"_You have to kill Dumbledore?_" I cried. It was almost laughable to think that Malfoy could pull something like that off. To my surprise, he let out another resentful laugh.

"Ridiculous, right?" he said.

"Of course that's ridiculous! Not even Voldemort himself could pull that off!" I said.

"But I have to," he whispered.

"Because Voldemort will kill someone. Who will he kill if you don't do this?" I asked.

"My mother... and me," he admitted, hiccoughing loudly from his alcohol intake.

"Ok, so let me get this straight: You have to fix something in order to kill Dumbledore or else Voldemort will kill you and your mother," I repeated. He nodded again.

"I can help you. The Order can help you. We'll protect you and your mother," I promised.

"You can't help me. Nobody can. If I don't do this, he's going to hunt me down and kill me," said Malfoy, letting out a pitiful sob. I stood up and walked closer to him, sitting just a foot away from him.

"Malfoy, look at me. Look at Harry. The Order has managed to help us, and keep us safe. We're both way higher on Voldemort's list of people to kill than you and the Order has still managed to keep us safe!" I encouraged, seeing his determination start to wear away.

"Why would they even want to help me and my mother? We're Death Eaters!" he said, in misery.

"So long as you're against Voldemort, the Order will help you," I promised.

"You know, I never wanted this life. I wanted to just live like a normal person. I've always just wanted to go to school and make friends and become an Unspeakable. My father forced my mother and I into this life," he explained.

"Draco, please. Let us help you! It's the only way you'll ever be able to live a normal life," I began.

"_He _won't kill me if I finish this task," said Malfoy.

"Do you really believe that? Voldemort doesn't care about anyone but himself and his power. All he wants to do is get Dumbledore out of the picture, because Dumbledore is a powerful, brilliant wizard. As soon as you're done this task you will still be killed. If you take the Order's help you get the chance at life, and the opportunity to do the right thing," I pleaded.

"I don't want to live like this anymore. How will the Order protect us?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'm not exactly sure yet. I think that your mother will have to go into hiding, but you'll most certainly remain in school. It's the safest place as long as Dumbledore is around," I explained.

"But they won't believe me," he said.

"They'll have ways to check, I'm sure," I shrugged.

"Why do you believe me?" he asked.

"I don't know. I just have a feeling that you're telling me the truth," I said.

"I am telling you the truth," said Malfoy sincerely, making me more confident that I was making the right decision.

"Listen, I'm not an Order member yet, because I'm too young. I think you need to talk to some that is. Let's go and talk to Dumbledore," I suggested.

"I don't know..." he said reluctantly.

"If you're serious about this, then you have to talk to Dumbledore. Come on!" I said, standing up myself and extending my hand out to pull him up. He started at my hand for a moment, as if deciding whether to take it or not. After a few seconds of silence, he grasped my hand and allowed me to pull him to his feet. He was a little bit unsteady at first as he was still quite drunk, but he followed me out of the Astronomy Tower, and down the abandoned hallway.

_Holy shit. Holy shit. Wow. This is...wow,_ was all I could think as we walked in silence. I pulled out the map and made sure that the coast was clear, and found that the path to Dumbledore's office was completely clear. Eventually, with Malfoy stumbling along at my side, we reached the stone gargoyle.

"Coconut cluster," I said, causing the stone figure to come to life and step aside. I pulled Malfoy up the stairs since he seemed to be having a little bit of trouble. We approached the great wooden doors. I knocked loudly, fearing that the Headmaster was already asleep.

"Come in," said Dumbledore.

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><p><strong>WHAT? :O Hope you enjoyed this chapter and the exciting new development to the story! <strong>

**I have a few things to say about this! Firstly, I love Draco's character and really wanted to give him a bigger part in this story, and this was the way that I decided. Second, under no circumstance will there ever be any Ava/Draco ship stuff. No seriously, not gonna happen. Just in case you were worried/getting your hopes up... Third, I know that there are a lot of Draco stories out there, but this story isn't about Draco. He's not going to become the main focus of this story or anything like that. **

**I would really appreciate any feedback that you could give me, soo please review and let me know! THANKS!**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>"Come in," said Dumbledore. I opened the door and grasped Malfoy's sleeve to pull him into the office. He followed me cooperatively, and didn't make a fuss about me dragging him along.<p>

"Avery, Draco! What are you doing here?" said Dumbledore, concern colouring in his voice. He peered at Malfoy curiously.

"We need to talk to you, sir," I started.

"Of course. Please have a seat," he said, waving his wand and conjuring two comfortable looking chairs.

"Thank you, sir," I said, tugging my drunken companion to the chair. He collapsed onto the seat, looking a little bit relieved to be off his feet, and he started to nod off a little bit. Clearly he was a lot more intoxicated than I had originally thought.

"Well, Professor, we're here tonight to talk to you about something. I'm not really sure how to begin though," I began again, worried about how Dumbledore would react to my tale.

"Yes, you mentioned. I believe that the beginning would be an appropriate place to start your story," he suggested, giving me an encouraging nod.

"Yes, sir. Well, I guess the beginning of this story would be in Diagon Alley a couple of months ago. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were there and we saw Malfoy sneaking off alone, so we decided to follow him," I paused for a second to see what Dumbledore thought about his following Malfoy, but he just waited for me to continue with mild amusement.

"He went into Borgin and Burkes and was talking to the shop keeper. Harry seemed really bothered by this, and he believed that Malfoy was up to something. He's been keeping tabs on Malfoy's activities since we've been back," I said.

"Keeping tabs? Am I to assume that Harry has been using his enchanted map of Hogwarts to monitor Mr. Malfoy's actions?" he asked for clarification. I hoped he wasn't angry, but his voice was even, so I didn't think he was too upset.

"Yes, sir. Harry was just concerned. But anyway... so a few days ago, on my way back from our last meeting, I stopped to help a friend with something and was attacked with a water balloon. I was going to stop off in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to get cleaned up, but Malfoy was in there and he was clearly upset. I didn't stop to talk to him then but it had been really bothering me, so when I saw that he was in the Astronomy Tower tonight –"

"You saw this on the map?" he asked again.

"Yes. I saw that Malfoy was alone in the Tower so I decided to go and inspect what he was doing. When I got there, he heard me and pulled his wand on me," I explained. I looked at Malfoy, who was awake and listening intently to our conversation.

"I noticed that he had been drinking, and I could tell that something was wrong so I began talking to him," I said. I opened my mouth to continue, but to my surprise, Malfoy interrupted me.

"She started asking me what was wrong, and what I was doing alone in the Tower. I was just so fed up and I just couldn't take it anymore, so I talked to her. About everything – my family, my mission, everything. How I don't want to do this anymore, and how I want out of this life," he said. It was almost difficult to take him seriously when his words were slightly slurred.

"Ah yes, your mission. I have been aware of your mission for a long time, Draco. I was also confident that you would not be able to do it. I do not mean to call you weak, but I do not think that you are a murderer," said Dumbledore in his quiet, calm voice. Malfoy's fearful expression turned to one of surprise.

"So you believe me then?" he asked in relief.

"I do believe that you are not happy with your life. But, please continue the story," said the Headmaster, so I spoke up again.

"He said that he wanted to leave the Death Eaters, and the only way to do this would be to finish his mission. I told him that the Order will protect him, and his mother if he wants to leave that life behind. I told him that I would help him if I had to," I explained.

"The Order exists to protect those that are against Voldemort. If Draco is, indeed, against Voldemort's reign, then the Order will happily offer it's service," said Dumbledore. For the first time since meeting him in first year, I saw Malfoy actually smile. Not his usual cold smirk, but a genuine smile.

"Yeah, that's what I told him too," I said.

"I have a few questions for Draco, though. Before I can guarantee the Order's help," said Dumbledore, looking straight at Malfoy again.

"Of course," said Malfoy.

"Why did you stay? If you wanted to leave Voldemort's side, why did you not run away from Hogwarts and go into hiding?" asked Dumbledore.

"Because I knew that _he _would hurt my mother. If the Order is going to help me, you must help my mother as well," said Malfoy passionately.

"I did say that anyone that is against Voldemort will be assisted, so as long as your mother is prepared to leave her life behind then we can help. Now, another question that I had is regarding your father. Are you asking for protection for him as well?" asked Dumbledore.

"No. I don't care what happens to him. He is the reason that I've had to grow up like this, so he can rot with the rest of the Death Eaters for all I care. But if it comes to a fight, I want to finish him off," he replied viciously.

"Of course. I am also curious about your mission. Have you been planning what you were going to do?" asked Dumbledore nonchalantly.

"I was going to sneak in a few Death Eaters in using a pair of vanishing cabinets. I was at Borgin and Burkes that day to find out how to fix the broken one," Malfoy explained, though he seemed rather scared that Dumbledore was going to be angry. To Malfoy's astonishment, Dumbledore simply chuckled.

"Brilliant plan, though I must admit that you did not succeed," said the Headmaster with a twinkle in his eye.

"So, Professor, does this mean that Malfoy and his mother will receive protection?" I asked.

"I would like to believe you, Draco, but I'm sure you can understand my reservations. I can only think of one way to ensure that your intentions are true. Would you be apposed to answering some questions under the influence of veritaserum?" said Dumbledore.

"Of course. I can understand why it could be difficult to believe, considering everything. I'll answer your questions with veritaserum," he said.

"Excellent. Veritaserum does not work when paired with alcohol. I will give you something else first, to rid your system of the alcohol," said Dumbledore. He got up and rummaged around in one of his cupboards, and eventually returned with a small vial of green liquid.

"Please drink this," said Dumbledore. Malfoy pulled out the cork and downed the liquid in one big gulp. After a few seconds, he started to look more alert and more nervous. It seemed that the alcohol had been keeping him calm. Although I could see that his hands were shaking slightly when he accepted the vial of veritaserum from Dumbledore, he was wearing a look of determination. For the second time that night, Malfoy pressed the vial of potion to his lips and gulped down the transparent liquid. This time, the confident look left his face and his eyes glazed over.

Instead of boring you with the specifics, I'll just sum it up for you. Dumbledore basically made Malfoy reiterate his story, which remained exactly the same. Even though it was difficult for me to trust Malfoy, I couldn't deny that he had been telling the truth the entire time. He really did want to get away from his father and Voldemort. Once Dumbledore was finished questioning Malfoy, he handed the boy a third potion. This time, it was the antidote to the veritaserum. Malfoy swallowed the potion, and immediately looked alert again.

"Mr. Malfoy, I have heard your testimony, while under the influence of veritaserum. You were truthful in saying that you wanted to join our side. The Order will grant your request for protection. It will be imperative that your mother is removed from the Malfoy Manor immediately. We will see to it that this happens shortly. As for you, you will remain at Hogwarts, under my protection. I will ensure that no Death Eater can harm you," said Dumbledore. I turned to look at Malfoy, whose eyes had welled with unshed tears. He was wearing a small, happy smile on his face.

"Thank you, sir. You have no idea how much this means to me," he said quietly.

"No need for thank yous. I am happy to welcome you to our side. Now I can see that you are both quite exhausted, so I suggest you both return to your common rooms and try to get some sleep," said Dumbledore, kindly.

"Goodnight, Professor," said Malfoy before getting up and leaving. I hesitated for a moment. Once Malfoy had left the office I spoke again.

"Sir, should I tell Harry, Ron and Hermione about this?" I asked.

"Yes, I think they have a right to know," he said simply.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," I said, gratefully.

"And thank you, Avery. I know it was difficult to trust Mr. Malfoy enough to bring him to me, but your good judgement has probably saved multiple lives," he said. I blushed at his compliment.

"Well, he was saying that he had changed. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt," I said.

"I am glad that you did. Now, I must request that you return to the Gryffindor tower and get some sleep. I am sure you want to be coherent for you classes tomorrow," he said, with a humorous smile.

"Thanks, goodnight," I said, leaving the office. As I walked back to the common room, I felt oddly light and happy. That feeling came to an end when I began to think about the idea of telling Harry, Ron and Hermione about Malfoy. I was well aware of the bitter feelings shared between the three boys. The fact that I had helped Malfoy was going to be seen as a big betrayal. The only glimmer of hope I had was that Hermione would see reason, and could help me convince Harry and Ron that this was not a terrible stab in the back.

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><p><strong>Well, that's chapter 15. Hope you all enjoyed it. Hopefully there'll be a new chapter tomorrow but I'm going to be gone for a lot of the day, so I'm not entirely sure if there will be! Anyway, I would appreciate feedback on what you likeddisliked, so please feel free to review and let me know what you think! THANKS!**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>As I walked back to the common room, I contemplated what I was going to have to tell my friends. Just the thought of telling Harry that I had helped Malfoy made my fingers tremble.<p>

It had been nearly two hours since I had left to go to the "library" so it was no surprise that my friends were waiting for me when I got back. The common room had emptied out since I had left, and only a few people were left.

"Where have you been?" Harry demanded as soon as I stepped through the portrait hole.

"Uh, I need to talk to you guys," I said, indicating to Ron and Hermione as well. "Let's sit." We walked to the couch that Ron and Hermione were staring. Harry took a seat beside Ron, while I sat on the coffee table across from them.

"Oh, Harry, here's the map," I said, passing Harry the ancient looking parchment.

"Quit stalling. Where were you?" he asked in an accusatory tone.

"Alright. I'm going to explain everything to you guys. You have to promise to hear me out though, before you start jumping to any conclusions," I said. They nodded hesitantly, and waited for me to start my story.

"Alright, I didn't go to the library today. I went to the Astronomy Tower," I started.

"Why? Malfoy was in the Astronomy Tower," said Ron slowly.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I went to there in the first place. I wanted to talk to him," I explained.

"You WHAT?" Harry said in a dangerously calm voice. That tone had always been bad news, which made me even more nervous to continue.

"Harry, I asked you not to interrupt me. Please. Anyway, I didn't exactly go there with the intention to talk to Malfoy. I actually wanted to see what he was up to. When I got there he heard me and we started talking. He had been drinking so I decided to use that to my advantage. He seemed really upset so I asked him what was wrong. Anyway, to make a long story short, he told me that Voldemort gave him a mission to kill Dumbledore –" I said, but I was cut off.

"WHAT?" cried Harry, standing up from his seat in rage.

"Sit back down, and let me finish my story!" I scolded. He reluctantly sat back down but was wearing a murderous glare. "_Anyway_, he told me about his mission, but he also told me that he didn't want to do it and that the didn't want to be a Death Eater anymore. He was really drunk so I doubted that he could be lying. He said that he wanted to run away but if he did Voldemort would certainly kill his mother. I told him that the Order could help him if he really had turned over a new leaf. I told him that if he really wanted, the Order would give him and his mother protection," I explained, pausing to gauge their reactions. Ron looked torn between rage and awe, while Hermione just stared at me in shock. I didn't really look at them though. I was looking at the bespectacled boy beside them. Harry's face was contorted in a furious glare. He looked like he was going to take out his wand and hex me right there, but fortunately for me, he restrained himself.

"After he told me all of this, I took him to Dumbledore. Dumbledore questioned him for a little while, and said that the Order would be able to provide protection, but only after a veritaserum test. Malfoy told his whole story again, under the influence of truth serum, and it didn't change at all. So, Dumbledore had offered to help rescue Malfoy's mother and help both of them escape from Voldemort's side," I finished. None of them spoke, but they looked like they were processing the information I had presented them with. Hermione was the first person to speak.

"That's... amazing!" she said, with a slight smile.

"Really? You're not mad that I helped him out?" I asked in relief.

"Of course not! If it's true that Malfoy has changed, then it's great that he can get away from the Death Eaters!" said Hermione, rationally. I looked over at Ron who seemed to be figuring out what to say.

"I suppose it's alright, but it's _Malfoy_! He's the biggest git on the planet! How can we really be sure that he's changed?" asked Ron.

"Well, he obviously wasn't lying. And Dumbledore trusts him, so I think as long as we trust Dumbledore we have to trust Draco Malfoy," I said.

"I don't know about this, though. I don't know if I could ever trust Malfoy," said Ron, which I the reaction I had expected. I turned to look at Harry. His infuriated expression had changed to one that I couldn't really figure out.

"Harry?" I asked quietly, placing my hand on his. He pulled it away and snapped out of the trance that was in.

"How could you? This is Malfoy we're talking about! He won't change! He's a Death Eater, Ava! He's made all of our lives a living hell!" he hissed, keeping his voice low enough that the few people left in the common room couldn't hear him.

"Harry! What would you like me to have done? Would you prefer if I just leave him to die? Because that's what would happen if I hadn't taken him to Dumbledore. There was obviously no way that he was going to be able to kill Dumbledore!" I whispered angrily.

"Have you forgotten what he's done to you? Do you remember that he was the one that kidnapped Adrien? The boy could have been killed because of Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed.

"Of course I haven't forgotten about that! Obviously if he hadn't done that he would have been killed. That's not the point – that's in the past now. The point to focus on is that he's not lying about wanted to change, or even fight against Voldemort. He wants to join our side, and help us. Help _you_ defeat Voldemort! Doesn't it mean anything that he wants to put all of your differences aside and fight beside you?" I asked.

"I don't want him on my side! He's a Death Eater, and I'm sure this is some kind of trick. He's been nothing but terrible to us, so I say that we should let him rot with his father and the rest of the Death Eaters," he replied scathingly.

"Well, I can't do that Harry. I can't just stand by and let someone be stuck with the Death Eaters if they want out. It's not fair for him to be trapped when he could be putting his energy into the Order and our side!" I replied.

"I just don't understand how you could turn your back on your friends – on your boyfriend?" he whispered.

"Draco's changed, Harry!" I said, trying to make my voice as gentle as possible. I had known that this would be difficult for Harry to accept, so I had already mentally prepared myself for this reaction.

"So now he's _Draco_. Are you two best friends now? What are you dating him on the side too?" he snapped. I knew he was just angry, but his words really hurt me.

"Woah, mate. That's not fair –" said Ron.

"Oh, so you're taking her side now too?" interrupted Harry.

"No, I'm not. I don't like this either, but if Dumbledore says that Malfoy has changed, then I think we have to trust him," he replied.

"Come on Harry! Doesn't Malfoy deserve a chance to make amends?" asked Hermione softly.

"No, he doesn't," said Harry simply, before getting up from the couch and marching up the boys' stairs to his dorm. For a second I wanted to go after him, but I was too angry myself and I decided it would be best for us to calm down before speaking again. I turned back to Ron and Hermione who both looked incredibly uneasy after witnessing our fight.

"Do you guys think I made a mistake taking to Dumbledore?" I asked, looking for reassurance that I did the right thing.

"Of course you didn't. I know that Malfoy has been terrible in the past, but people can change, and if he wants to help us defeat Voldemort, I'm more than happy to put our differences in the past," said Hermione.

"Yeah, I suppose. I don't think I'll ever be able to get along with him though. But I suppose I can live with him on our side," said Ron.

"Thank you guys for being so supportive. I'm really glad you think so. I think I'm going to head off to bed now. Goodnight," I said, standing up and walking up the stairs to my dorm. As soon as I was upstairs I changed into my pajamas and closed the hangings around my bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow, the tears that had been threatening to fall finally came trickling down my cheeks. I knew that Harry wouldn't be exactly happy about the situation but some of the things he said were just out of line. At least Ron and Hermione were being sensible about this, but it killed me that Harry was as upset as he was. I decided that I would talk to him at breakfast tomorrow and sort this out.

I barely got any sleep that night. After being in bed for about twenty minutes, I heard Hermione enter the room. I could hear her moving around the room and getting ready, and minutes later I heard her bed creak, indicating that she was finally going to sleep. I just lay there in bed replaying the fight I had with Harry. I finally fell asleep in the early hours of the morning.

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><p><strong>Well, there it is. Another chapter! Hope you all enjoyed! Leave me reviews giving me feedback, if you can! It's always really helpful :)<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>I awoke the next morning to the sound of Hermione and my other roommates bustling around the room. I didn't immediately get out of bed. Instead, I lay there and considered my options. My very first instinct was to lie here all day and avoid Harry at all costs. Our fight last night had been... nasty, to say the least.<p>

Yes, staying in bed all day sounded like a good plan – that is until I remembered that McGonagall was giving us a quiz in Transfiguration today. _Shit_! Just as I was trying to mentally prepare myself for the day, the hangings around my bed flew open. I looked up to see Hermione standing over me, with her toothbrush in her mouth.

"Oh, you're up! Come on, we're going to be late for breakfast," said Hermione, before leaving me to go back to the bathroom. I didn't move from my spot in bed. Just the thought of facing the day made me want to take one of the Fever Fudges from the set of Skiving Snackboxes© that Fred and George had sent me, and faking sick. After another five minutes of internal debating, I unenthusiastically removed the covers and rolled out of bed.

I joined Hermione at the sink and started brushing my teeth. I could see from my peripheral vision, that Hermione kept glancing at me. I was hoping that she hadn't noticed how red and puffy my eyes were from spending most of the night crying.

"Are you ok?" asked Hermione quietly, so the roommates wouldn't hear her question.

"I'll be fine. I just want to get through this day as painlessly as possible," I said, giving her a tiny, fake smile. I washed my face and then went to put on my school robes. I didn't even bother to do anything to my hair or even cover up the bags under my eyes. By the time I was done, I took a seat on my bed to wait for Hermione.

"Alright, I'm ready," she said, handing me my book bag and starting towards the common room. I held my breath as we walked down the stairs, hoping that Harry wasn't in there. Fortunately for me, the common room was nearly empty expect for some third-years finishing up some last minute homework. I sighed in relief and we continued to the Great Hall in silence. I knew that Hermione was itching to talk to me more about last night, but she could tell that I wasn't really in the mood to talk, so she just followed me quietly.

When we got to the Great Hall, I looked down the length of the table, but Harry wasn't there yet. Hermione and I took a seat and started filling our plates with food. I didn't really have an appetite, so I just picked up a slice of toast and nibbled at it.

"So, are you ready for the Transfiguration quiz today?" asked Hermione, making an attempt at small talk.

"I think so. It's just a review of last year, so I think I should be alright," I shrugged. We fell into a comfortable silence again, and neither of us made any another effort at small talk.

Just as I was finishing my piece of toast, I caught a flash of red hair which made me look up. Ron and Harry entered the Great Hall together. I expected them to come and join Hermione and I at the table, but Harry simply walked past us without a glance and opted for a seat beside Neville and Seamus. Ron, being the good friend that he was, followed behind Harry. As he passed us, he shot me a sympathetic smile. So, apparently this was how it was going to be. Until Harry and I made up, Ron was with Harry and Hermione was with me.

I knew that our fight had been bad, but I hadn't realized that Harry was _this_ upset! I felt the tears from last night begin to prick my eyes again. I was determined not to let anyone see me cry, so I blinked them away.

"Mione, I think I'm going to head to class. I need to talk to Slughorn about a paper before class starts," I lied, beginning to gather up my belongings.

"Oh, alright. I'll see you class then," she said. I knew that Hermione probably saw through my lie, but she didn't say anything and let me walk out of the Great Hall. I hurried down the stairs to the dungeons where our Potions classes were held.

Since there was nearly twenty minutes until class started, nobody was there yet – even Slughorn. Luckily, the door was opened, so I went inside and took my regular seat at the front. As I sat there alone, my lack of sleep from last night caught up to me. I rested my head in my hands and closed my eyes.

As I rested my eyes, I heard footsteps approach behind me. I turned around to see none other than Draco Malfoy walking through the door. My first inclination was to sneer, but I remembered what had happened last night, and instead gave him a weak smile. I wasn't really sure what to expect, seeing as our last encounter involved him being piss drunk.

I was shocked when he returned my smile, with a hesitant one. Instead of taking his usual seat at the back he walked over to the seat next to mine and sat down.

"Hey," he said awkwardly.

"Hi," I replied.

"So, listen. I wanted to-to thank you. For last night and for everything. I honestly don't really know how to repay you," he muttered, surprising me even more.

"It's alright. As long as you're on our side, I am happy to help," I replied.

"Yeah, you told me that last night too. I still can't really understand why you would do it though... I mean, take a chance with me," said Malfoy.

"I don't know myself. I just realized that if I didn't give you a chance, then nobody would. And besides, you were pretty drunk so I figured you probably weren't screwing with me," I added, with a small laugh.

"Yeah, I was pretty hammered wasn't I," he laughed.

"I'm surprised you remember anything," I said, giving him a smug look.

"Well, I supposed last night isn't the kind of thing you forget," said Malfoy.

"I guess not," I shrugged.

"So, did you tell your friends?" he asked casually.

"Yeah, I did," I nodded.

"And... how did they take it?" he asked.

"Well, pretty much how I expected. Hermione is thoroughly logical, so she was happy about it. Ron said that he wasn't sure if he could forget about your past relationship, but that he was fine with you being on our side. Harry was... angry," I said vaguely.

"Potter was angry. It's to be expected I suppose. I haven't really given him any reason to believe I've changed. I'll just have to show him. I hope he's not too angry with you about this," said Malfoy.

"He'll get over it. He's just having a tough time with this," I said confidently, though I couldn't tell if I was trying to convince Malfoy or myself. I heard footsteps and laughter coming down the hallway, indicating that people were starting to come to class. Malfoy got up quickly and started to head back to his regular seat. Before he left though, he turned back to me.

"Thanks again, Ava," he said quietly. His use of my name really threw me off, but I recovered quickly.

"No problem, Draco," I said with a smile. That talk with Draco just reaffirmed that my actions last night the right thing to do, and it made me feel a little bit better about the situation. The laughter from the hall got closer and slowly, students started to trickle in. Hermione showed up after a few minutes, and took her regular seat to my left. There was still no site of Ron or Harry, and I began to wonder how awkward it was going to be to sit with them in class.

That turned out to be an unnecessary worry, though. When Ron and Harry walked into class, just minutes before the bell, they didn't take their regular seats beside us, and took seats at the opposite side of the room. I glanced up at Harry, who was staring intently at his Potions textbook, and was purposefully avoiding my eye.

Luckily, Slughorn walked into class at that moment, and began the lesson right away. It allowed me to take my mind off my problems with my boyfriend and concentrate on the notes that had appeared on the blackboard.

That was basically how the entire day went. Harry and Ron didn't sit with Hermione and me in any of our classes all day. I tried to act like it didn't bother me, but in all honestly, it killed me. At lunch, I made up an excuse about getting a book from the library, and hurried away from Hermione. Instead, I walked down to the kitchens and asked for something small that I could take with me. I decided to go sit outside in my garden, and enjoy the warm September sunshine while it lasted.

I didn't really have an excuse not to go to dinner, so I sat quietly with Hermione and played around with my food, only taking a couple of bites. Hermione began rambling on about the Runes assignment we had gotten today, and I politely pretended to listen. As I nodded at her in agreement, I couldn't help but glance over at the Slytherin table. Draco wasn't even sitting with his Slytherin goons today. He was sitting alone, at the edge of the table, and was pushing his food around his plate like I was.

I felt a small twinge of guilt. While I was here wallowing in self pity, I had completely disregarded how he must be feeling. Obviously he was feeling relieved and happy, but it must have been difficult too – asking for help from someone that had been his enemy for more than five years now. And it must have been lonely, sitting among his former friends but wanting to get away. It was a little bit strange how well I was understanding Draco, but I decided that it wasn't a bad thing. It actually made me feel even better about my decision to go to Dumbledore last night. I just hoped that I hadn't hurt my relationship with Harry too badly.

"Are you even listening to me?" asked Hermione, snapping me back.

"No, sorry. I'm just out of it today," I admitted.

"He'll come around, Ava. Harry's just being stubborn right now, but he'll get used to the idea of Malfoy being on our side, and he'll stop being such a jackass," said Hermione.

"Well, I hope you're right," I muttered.

"I am. Now, since I'm pretty sure you're not going to eat anything, do you want to go back to the common room?" she asked.

"Yeah, let's go," I asked gratefully, picking up my bag and following my friend out of the Hall. The common room was pretty much empty when we returned, seeing as most people were still at dinner, so Hermione and I claimed our usual table and spread out our work.

I decided that homework would be my best bet at a distraction at the moment, and started to focus all my attention into answering the questions we had received in Potions. Slowly, the common room began to fill up as people finished up dinner and returned back to Gryffindor Tower. I was so caught up in my work that I didn't even notice when Harry and Ron entered the common room.

"Can we talk?" I heard behind me, pulling me out of my homework-induced trance. I turned around and saw Harry standing behind me.

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><p><strong>Hmm, what's going to happen? Well, you'll just have to read the next chapter and find out! :P Please leave me feedback, via review! Thanks! :)<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>"Avery, can we talk?" I heard behind me, pulling me out of my homework-induced trance. I turned around and saw Harry standing behind me.<p>

"Of course!" I said, jumping up. I cringed at how eager I sounded. Harry walked through the crowded common room, and exited through the portrait hole without another word. I glanced at Hermione, who gave me a reassuring nod, and followed after him. He didn't stop right outside the portrait of the Fat Lady as I had expected him to, but continued down the hallway until we were in a deserted corridor. He stopped walked and turned to face me with a weary look on his face. Neither of us said anything for a few seconds, and we just stood there in awkward silence. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"So, you wanted to talk?" I asked.

"Yeah. About last night...," he said slowly.

"Yeah, that was quite a fight we had, huh?" I asked, trying to ease the tension. Harry didn't even smile, which made me feel terrible.

"I guess it was. I just don't understand how you could do this to me?" he asked, surprising me. I had honestly expected him to apologize to me right now, but here he was blaming me for the whole thing!

"What do you mean? I didn't do this _to _you Harry! I did this _for _someone else! Why can't you understand that?" I asked.

"Because it's Draco fucking Malfoy, Avery! I don't care what he tells you, or what Dumbledore believes – he is a Death Eater! Why can't you understand _that_?" he cried, angrily.

"Harry, you're just being stubborn, and completely unfair. He can't help who he's related to! You of all people should be able to relate to that. You're related to the Dursleys, and yet you're completely different from them. Look at Sirius! He did the same thing that Draco wants to do now! Sirius was born into a family of Voldemort supporters too, and your father gave him the chance to change that!" I retorted.

"Don't bring him into this! Sirius is different! He was a Gryffindor! He was different from the very beginning. It's not like he was a Death Eater and decided to run away from it. He hated it all along!" Harry said angrily.

"So, you're refusing to give Draco a chance because he's a Slytherin? Are you kidding? And you're right – this is different. It's a completely different time now. Voldemort is the strongest he's ever been right now. Running away from him is a lot more difficult and dangerous now than it ever has been," I shot back.

"Malfoy is branded with the Dark Mark. He's a real Death Eater. Sirius was never a Death Eater," said Harry, still stuck on the example of his godfather.

"Yes, that is true. So, if Draco is willing to leave, especially when he's so deep in Voldemort's circle, he should be commended for his bravery. You are being absolutely unreasonable about this!" I yelled, hoping that nobody was passing through the hallway to hear our fight. It was fairly unlikely though, considering this hallway lead to a dead end.

"I'm being unreasonable? I'M BEING UNREASONABLE? How dare you? If anything I'm trying to protect you! You're just too stupid to notice the mistake you're making!" Harry shouted back. I was taken aback by his tone.

"Harry, I'm your girlfriend! You have no right to talk to me like that!" I cried.

"Yeah, well not for much longer," he said, maliciously.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"I don't think I can be with a person that would invite a Death Eater to our side. I can't be with someone who is willing to endanger her friends just to try to help a _Death Eater,_ who may or may not be on our side," he said quietly.

"So, what are you saying? I either turn my back on Draco or we're through?" I asked, trying to keep the tears that were collecting in my eyes from falling.

"No. It's too late for that. What's done is done. You can't just take it back now. You've obviously chosen to support him, even though you know all about our past. I can't be with someone like that. I don't think we can see each other anymore," he muttered.

"Harry... come on. We can work on this. Let's go talk to Dumbledore about this whole Malfoy thing. Maybe he'll be able to convince you that this is a good thing!" I pleaded, unable to stop the tears now.

"No. I'm sorry, Avery, but we're done," he said, quietly. With one more look at me, he turned on his heel and walked back down the hallway towards the Gryffindor Tower. As soon as he was out of sight, my knees gave away, and I crumpled to the floor. I didn't care anymore that I was sobbing loudly, and I was no longer worried that someone would walk past and hear me.

I couldn't think about anything else, except the fact that the love of my life had just turned his back on me. It took me a few more minutes to calm down and stop sobbing. Once I had gotten myself under control I picked myself up off the grimy floor and made my way back to the Tower. The only thing I could think about right now was curling up in bed, and sleeping away my pain.

I muttered the password to the Fat Lady and climbed into the common room. Nobody paid me any attention as I walked quietly though the common room and up the girls' stairs. I heard someone call my name behind me, but I didn't bother to look back. I entered my room and lay down on my bed. Seconds later, the bedroom door opened, and I saw Hermione standing in the doorway. She was wearing a look of concern that brought on a fresh wave of tears. I didn't care though, and just allowed my cheeks to be drenched with tears.

Hermione looked surprised by my sudden outburst of emotions. Instead of saying anything, she came over to my bed and lay down beside me. She pulled me closer to her, and allowed me to bury my face in the crook of her neck. Hermione didn't ask me any questions about what had happened, but just allowed me to sob into her shoulder. She held me like this for a while, until I finally closed my eyes and drifted off into unconsciousness.

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><p><strong>Hermione POV<strong>

I got up that morning feeling tense and anxious. Probably more than I needed to be. After Ava and Harry's fight, I had sat with Ron and talked for a bit. We knew that it would take a couple of days for the two to make up, so we decided that it would be best if I stuck with Ava, while Ron hung out with Harry.

Unfortunately, I hadn't realized how angry harry was. He spent the entire day, both in meals and classes, avoiding Ava. I could tell that it was really getting to her, and when she made excuses to leave breakfast and lunch early, I didn't stop her. I figured that she needed some alone time, and she would talk to me if she wanted to.

At dinner I could tell that she didn't want to be there, so I tried to take her mind off things by talking about something completely different. It didn't seem to work, and I knew that she was just tuning me out. When she was done eating I suggested we leave the Great Hall, receiving a relieved look from her.

We went back upstairs and started working on our homework. I couldn't help but glance up at my friend. She was so deep in concentration, but I could tell that she was just trying hard to take her mind off things.

Soon after we arrived in the common room, other people started to return from dinner. I looked up and saw Ron enter the common room with a grim looking Harry behind him. Ron made his way over to an empty couch on the opposite side of the common room, but to my surprise, Harry continued towards us. He stopped behind Ava.

"Can we talk?" he asked. She turned around, and jumped up from her seat.

"Of course," she said, following him out of the portrait hole. Seconds later, someone sat down in Ava's seat next to me. I looked up and saw my wonderful boyfriend grinning at me.

"Hey, Ron," I said, leaning over to give him a kiss.

"Hey. How are you doing?" he asked, politely.

"I'm ok, I guess. I'm just worried about those two. Any idea what Harry wanted just now?" I asked.

"No, not a clue. He hasn't really talked to me at all today, but he insisted on sitting with Neville and Seamus. I honestly don't understand why he's so upset about this. It's a tough situation, but he's just being stubborn now!" said Ron.

"I know. But then again, this is Harry we're talking about. He's probably doing this for some noble reason, like trying to protect us or something. It's just a little bit ridiculous, isn't it? It's not like Ava took Malfoy to Dumbledore to spite Harry," I said, rolling my eyes at my friend's stupidity.

"Yeah, I know. I figure that it's best just not to say anything like that to him, though. It'll just make things worse. I just want him to hurry up and make up with Ava so I can sit with you again," said Ron, interlocking his fingers with mine. I shot him a weary look, and turned back to my studies, though I could feel Ron's eyes on me. It made my cheeks burn a little bit with embarrassment.

After about twenty minutes, neither Harry nor Ava had returned to the common room. I hoped that they were doing alright. Just as I hoped that, the portrait swung open, and Ava hurried into the room. She didn't even glance at me, as she ran up the stairs to the dorms.

"Ava!" I called out, but she didn't turn.

"Go check on her," said Ron. I nodded and went up the stairs after her. I opened the door quietly, and saw that she was lying down on her bed. She looked over at me, and I could tell she had been crying. I gave her a questioning look, and I saw tears fill her eyes again. I realized what must have happened, and I walked over to her bed. I lay down beside her and hugged her tightly, allowing her to just cry into my shoulder. I didn't bother to ask her what happened, because it was clear that Harry had just broken up with her.

As her sobs slowly subsided, and her breathing started to become deep and even, I couldn't help but feel angry. Not at Ava, obviously. No, I was angry with Harry for being a first class idiot! How could he break up with his girlfriend over something this stupid!

When I was sure that Ava was asleep, I quietly pulled my arm out from under her and got up. I covered her with a blanket and closed the hangings around her bed. I left the bedroom as quietly as possible so I didn't wake her, and went back down to the common room. Ron wasn't there anymore, and I had a feeling I knew where to find him, along with his jackass best friend.

I immediately walked to the boys' staircase and went up. I continued upstairs until I reached the sixth year boys' dorm. I pounded on the door for a second before letting myself in. When I entered I saw Harry lying down in bed, and Ron sitting leaning against the bed opposite. They both looked up at me when I entered. I didn't bother to hide my anger.

"Harry, how could you?" I asked, in as calm a voice as I could manage. Harry noticed this tone, and got off his bed, taking a few steps towards me.

"What did she tell you?" he demanded.

"Nothing! She told me nothing! She was too busy sobbing! Did you break up with her?" I hissed, though I knew the answer to that question.

"I can't be with someone like that," he muttered.

"Wait, that's what happened?" Ron said.

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" I asked.

"No, he's wasn't saying anything!" Ron replied, glaring at his best friend.

"Well, it's none of your business," Harry responded.

"None of our business? Of course it's our business! When I have to sit with my friend, who is sobbing uncontrollably for two hours, it definitely becomes my business! I still can't begin to understand how you could do that! She's trying to help someone, Harry! What the fuck is your problem!" I cried, earning a surprised look from Ron, who had never really heard me swear before. I just ignored him, and concentrated on glaring at Harry.

"Look, it's none of your business, Hermione. It's between Ava and I, so quit being so nosey. She did something unforgivable, and I can't just pretend I'm alright with it. I don't understand why you both are being so supportive!" he yelled.

"You have some nerve, Potter. Come find me when you've stopped being such an idiot!" I spat, turning around and leaving the room. I heard footsteps behind me, and turned to see Ron following me out, looking as angry as I felt.

"I can't believe he talked to you like that. I have half a mind to go back there and punch him in the face," grumbled Ron.

"Don't. Please, just don't do anything like that. He'll see how wrong he is, eventually, and then he'll come and apologize. I just can't be around him until he does" I said.

"Yeah, me neither. He's way out of line," said Ron. I gave him a small smile, and took his hand.

"Thanks for backing me up, Ron. I have some homework to finish. Want to come work with me?" I asked. He nodded and we went back to our table in the common room.

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><p><strong>OH SNAP! So, Harry and Ava broke up! And everyone is mad at Harry :O Please let me know what you likeddisliked by reviewing! It's always really helpful! Thanks :)**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**So, just an explanation for where this chapter starts: This is the morning after Ava tells Harry and the rest about helping Draco. I figured it would only be fair to give Harry's side of the story as well! Sorry if it's a little bit redundant, but it'll help to explain some stuff and I couldn't think of another way to do it.**

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><p><strong>Harry POV<strong>

I woke up the next morning and felt bad. There was just a knot in the pit of my stomach that made me slightly nauseous. Staying in bed was quite a tempting idea, but I knew I had to get up. After my fight with Ava last night, I had no choice but to get up and act like I was alright. So, that's what I did.

I couldn't show her how much she had actually hurt me by helping Malfoy, so I got out of bed and got ready. Ron gave me a small smile as I started pulling a fresh pair of robes from my trunk. I had expected this; it was clear that I had won Ron in this fight, and Hermione would stay with Ava. I felt a little bit bad that my friends had to be in the middle of this, but we would have the same problem if it was Ron and Hermione's relationship that was in trouble. After a hot shower, I changed and brushed my teeth, before gathering up my books. Before leaving the dorm, I plastered a fake smile on my face.

Any shred of optimism that I had felt before leaving my room drained from me as soon as I saw Ava sitting alone with Hermione. I just couldn't face her yet, so I strode past them as quickly as I could and took a seat beside Neville and Seamus. They seemed a little bit surprised to see me there, along with Ron but they recovered quickly and launched into a discussion about quidditch-related. Today, even quidditch couldn't hold my attention. I just started down at my eggs and tried not to look over at my girlfriend. It turned out to be difficult though, and I caught myself glancing at her every couple of minutes. She looked as miserable as I felt, which made my heart ache. The only thing I wanted to do right now was to run over to her and comfort her. Every time I looked at her though, I had to remind myself of what she did which kept me rooted to my spot.

Unfortunately, my day did not improve after the disastrous breakfast. I avoided Ava all day, sitting far away from her in classes and meals. I noticed that she ducked out of all three meals early, and I had an urge to run after her each time. After seeing her run out at dinner early, I decided to talk to her that night. I definitely could not manage another day like this one.

So, after dinner Ron, Seamus, Neville and I made our way back to the common room. I noticed that Ava and Hermione were sitting at a table and working intently. Instead of joining my friends on the couch by the fire, I made my way over to the table where Ava was sitting.

"Can we talk?" I asked, the words sounding harsher than I meant to.

"Of course," she said immediately, following me out of the common room. I lead her down the hallway to a more private location and then stopped. I stood in front of her and gathered my thoughts. I realized that I had spent the entire day avoiding thoughts about her and the fight, so I hadn't really thought about what I was going to say – all I knew is that I desperately wanted to wrap my arms around her right now. I ignored the impulse and stared at her silently.

"So, you wanted to talk?" she said, quietly.

"Yeah. About last night...," I began.

"Yeah, that was quite a fight we had, huh?" she joked, but I was too focused on trying to figure out what to say next, that I didn't even laugh.

"I guess it was. I just don't understand how you could do this to me?" I said, trying to make her understand why I had been upset.

"What do you mean? I didn't do this _to _you Harry! I did this _for _someone else! Why can't you understand that?" she cried. I couldn't believe that she was getting upset with me!

"Because it's Draco fucking Malfoy, Avery! I don't care what he tells you, or what Dumbledore believes – he is a Death Eater! Why can't you understand _that_?" I yelled.

"Harry, you're just being stubborn, and completely unfair. He can't help who he's related to! You of all people should be able to relate to that. You're related to the Dursleys, and yet you're completely different from them. Look at Sirius! He did the same thing that Draco wants to do now! Sirius was born into a family of Voldemort supporters too, and your father gave him the chance to change that!" I couldn't believe that she would compare Draco Malfoy to Sirius!

"Don't bring him into this! Sirius is different! He was a Gryffindor! He was different from the very beginning. It's not like he was a Death Eater and decided to run away from it. He hated it all along!" I explained, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible, though it was impossible to keep the disgust out of my voice.

"So, you're refusing to give Draco a chance because he's a Slytherin? Are you kidding? And you're right – this is different. It's a completely different time now. Voldemort is the strongest he's ever been right now. Running away from him is a lot more difficult and dangerous now than it ever has been," responded Ava.

"Malfoy is branded with the Dark Mark. He's a real Death Eater. Sirius was never a Death Eater," I explained.

"Yes, that is true. So, if Draco is willing to leave, especially when he's so deep in Voldemort's circle, he should be commended for his bravery. You are being absolutely unreasonable about this!" she shouted.

"I'm being unreasonable? I'M BEING UNREASONABLE? How dare you? If anything I'm trying to protect you! You're just too stupid to notice the mistake you're making!" I yelled back. This was all wrong! I hadn't wanted to come here to fight! I just wanted for us to have a civil talk, and resolve this issue, but here I was, yelling at her at the top of my lungs. I couldn't even control myself anymore...

"Harry, I'm your girlfriend! You have no right to talk to me like that!" she snapped, rightfully so.

"Yeah, well not for much longer," I blurted out.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she questioned.

"I don't think I can be with a person that would invite a Death Eater to our side. I can't be with someone who is willing to endanger her friends just to try to help a _Death Eater,_ who may or may not be on our side," I found myself saying.

_ SHUT UP, YOU MORON!_ I said to myself, but I couldn't help it.

"So, what are you saying? I either turn my back on Draco or we're through?" demanded Ava.

"No. It's too late for that. What's done is done. You can't just take it back now. You've obviously chosen to support him, even though you know all about our past. I can't be with someone like that. I don't think we can see each other anymore," I said, quietly.

"Harry... come on. We can work on this. Let's go talk to Dumbledore about this whole Malfoy thing. Maybe he'll be able to convince you that this is a good thing!" she suggested.

"No. I'm sorry, Avery, but we're done," I said, but I regretted it the second the words left my mouth. I guess there was nothing left to do, but to leave. Once more, I looked into her glassy eyes, and walked towards the Gryffindor tower. I walked slowly, hoping that she would call after me – I knew that if she called my name, I wouldn't be able continue. I knew that if she told me to take her back, I wouldn't be able to refuse... but she didn't. She didn't call after me, or try to stop me, so I continued down the hallway. I approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, but I didn't feel like explaining anything to Ron and Hermione just yet, so I kept walking.

I wasn't really aware of where I was going, so I just allowed my feet to take me where they wanted to go. After a few minutes of walking, I found myself in the Entrance Hall. I pushed open the main door, and walked down the stairs to the grounds. The chilly night air whipped across my face, but it didn't really bother me. If anything it made me feel a little bit numb, which was a welcome change from the devastation that I was feeling right now.

Why had I said those things? I couldn't understand it myself. I couldn't understand how I had just walked away from the person that I loved most in the world. Over what – Draco Malfoy?

I knew that I was being an idiot about the whole situation. Ava was doing something great for Malfoy. It really shouldn't have surprised me the way it did, because Ava was an amazing person, who would help anyone that needed her.

So, why did it bother me so much? I wanted to just let it go, and allow myself to trust Ava and Dumbledore, but something was holding me back. A tiny part of me had known all along what it was that was making me so crazy about the situation.

What if this was Malfoy's idea to get into the Order? What if he had somehow found a way to get around Dumbledore's veritaserum test, and was just pretending to have changed? If he managed to get information from the Order he would easily be able to use it against us – against Ava.

I couldn't allow that to happen! I couldn't allow him to hurt her, or any of my friends. I had heard this story before – thinking that someone was on your side, and then being betrayed in the end. It's what happened to my parents, so who's to say it wasn't going to happen to me.

I had no problem with dying to protect someone I loved, but I couldn't allow any harm to fall upon Ava. The only way that I could think to protect her was to try and get Malfoy away from her, but it had ended in us breaking up. And now, I was all alone and terrified that something would happen to her.

I realized that I had still been walking around the grounds, and I looked up to see that I had unconsciously made my way to Ava's garden. Without a second thought, I sat down against the great maple tree and felt tears fill my eyes. I had just realized what had actually happened – I had lost the greatest thing in my life, all because I was being stupid and stubborn.

After sitting outside for what seemed like hours, I decided that it was time to return to Gryffindor Tower and face whatever was waiting for me there. I wasn't sure what Ava had told the others, but I knew that it wouldn't be anything good. I trudged back as quietly as possible, considering it was at least an hour after curfew, and went inside.

When I climbed through the portrait hole, I saw Ron sitting at a table, working on something. I was hoping that I could just slip by him unnoticed, but that obviously didn't happen. As I walked by the table, Ron looked up.

"Oi, Harry. What happened between you and Ava?" he demanded, following me up the stairs to our room.

"Nothing, Ron. Just leave it alone!" I pleaded, hoping that he would take the hint.

"Come on, mate! She stormed through here a couple of hours ago sobbing like crazy. Hermione's been up with her ever since. Did you guys get into another fight or something?" he asked.

"She was crying?" I asked, as my heart broke even more.

"Yeah, she was crying! I don't think I've ever seen Ava like that!" he told me.

"Seriously, Ron, I don't want to talk about it," I said, lying down in bed, and avoiding my friend's bemused gaze. Just then, the bedroom door flew open, and standing in the frame was a livid looking Hermione. I jumped up and took a step towards her.

"Harry, how could you?" she said, angrily.

"What did she tell you?" I asked.

"Nothing! She told me nothing! She was too busy sobbing! Did you break up with her?" Hermione snapped.

"I can't be with someone like that," I lied.

"Wait, that's what happened?" Ron said.

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Hermione scoffed.

"No, he's wasn't saying anything!" Ron replied, shooting me a dirty look.

"Well, it's none of your business," I said, hoping to get them off my case. All I wanted to do right now was sleep.

"None of our business? Of course it's our business! When I have to sit with my friend, who is sobbing uncontrollably for two hours, it definitely becomes my business! I still can't begin to understand how you could do that! She's trying to help someone, Harry! What the fuck is your problem!" yelled Hermione.

"Look, it's none of your business, Hermione. It's between Ava and I, so quit being so nosey. She did something unforgivable, and I can't just pretend I'm alright with it. I don't understand why you both are being so supportive!" I replied. I knew I was being really harsh, but I couldn't think of anything else to get them away from me. I didn't want to admit it, but I also didn't want to admit I was wrong, so I lied about how angry I was.

"You have some nerve, Potter. Come find me when you've stopped being such an idiot!" said Hermione. Her use of my last name surprised me. She turned around and stormed out of the room, followed closely by Ron.

Once the door was closed behind them, I lay back down. The silence of the room gave me time to think about how terribly I had messed everything up! I had lost my girlfriend and my two best friends because I was too proud to go and apologize. I was up the entire night, restlessly tossing and turning, and thinking about all my problems.

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><p><strong>That's where I'm going to stop this one. I'm going to post the next one today as well, since this one didn't have a ton of new stuff in it! Hope you enjoyed! Review and give me feedback! It's much appreciated! :D<strong>


	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p><strong>Avery POV<strong>

The days following my breakup with Harry were some of the hardest of my time at Hogwarts. The only thing that comforted me a little bit was that both Ron and Hermione seemed to be taking my side. I didn't know what had happened that made them so angry, but I liked having my friends beside me. I didn't bother to ask them either, just in case I jinxed it!

The morning after we had broken up, Hermione woke me up. Without a word, I started getting ready. I had a hot shower, and then started changing. I didn't do anything to my hair again, and couldn't be bothered to put on makeup. Hermione was already ready, and waiting for me. I realized I left my book bag and homework in the common room.

"Shit, I didn't finish my homework," I muttered, in a hoarse voice.

"Oh, I finished it for you," said Hermione, handing me a few pieces of parchment. "I know you hadn't finished, and I figured it would make things easier for you if you didn't have detention," she said, with a small smile. I tried to return the smile, but it just came out as a grimace.

"Thanks, Mione. I really appreciate it," I said, picking up my bag and shoving the finished homework in. We met Ron in the common room and walked with him to breakfast. I could tell that Hermione and Ron were trying their best to be as un-coupley as possible, so that I wouldn't feel bad, which I really appreciated. Ron tried to crack a few jokes, and I shot him a small, fake smile to thank him for trying.

When we got to the Great Hall, I saw that Harry was sitting with Seamus and Neville again, and was laughing loudly with them. My eyes prickled a little bit with tears to see that he had recovered so quickly, but I blinked them away. I was determined not to show Harry how devastated I was, so I sat down and started talking to Hermione about a project that was due next week. She chatted on enthusiastically, allowing me to just nod and throw in a few words now and then.

Overall, the day was pretty bleak. I spent the better part of the day pretending to be fine, except for Runes class, which Harry was not in. I had never been happier to hear the last bell, signalling the end of the day. I sped upstairs to the common room and went straight upstairs. Hermione come up as well and we worked on our homework togethter.

"Hey, don't you have your meeting with Dumbledore today?" said Hermione, after we had been studying for a few hours. I glanced at the clock that was hanging on the wall. It read eight o'clock.

"Shit, you're right," I said, mentally smacking myself for not remembering... then again, I did have other things on my mind.

"You could just send Dumbledore a letter and say you're sick or something. I'm sure he would understand," offered Hermione.

"Nah, I'll go. It may be good to have some time to myself anyway," I shrugged.

"Ok. Are you sure you're doing ok?" she asked, concern colouring her voice. It was the first time we had made any reference to what happened yesterday.

"I'm not ok yet, but I just need a few days," I shrugged.

"Alright. If you need anything...," she trailed off, though I knew what she was going to say.

"I know, thanks. And, thanks for being so great last night," I said.

"Of course! Now, get going," she said, giving me a smile, which I returned before turning and leaving. As I climbed down the stairs I saw Adrien walking through the common room, en route to Dumbledore's office.

"Adrien, wait up," I called out, hurrying to meet him. He paused by the portrait hole for me.

"Hey, Ava. Haven't seen you much lately. How are you doing?" he asked as we started walking.

"I'm fine," I lied.

"Are you sure? You don't look like you're fine," he commented.

"Just stressed," I fibbed.

"Are you sure? Does this have something to do with why Harry wasn't sitting with you at dinner today?" he asked.

_Damn, the kid knows me too well_, I thought.

"I'm fine, Adrien," I said, dismissively.

"Alright, if you say so. If you need me to have a talk with him, just let me know," he said, seriously.

"You have a talk with him?" I laughed. "You're eleven!"

"Well, yeah. But I can have a rain cloud following him around for the rest of the week," he said seriously. Just the mental image of Harry walking around with a black cloud following him made me burst out laughing.

"I'll let you know," I said, through my giggles. By the time we got to Dumbledore's office I was feeling a little bit less glum.

After saying the password, we continued upstairs, and knocked.

"Come in," we heard from inside.

"Ah, right on time," said Dumbledore as we entered and took our seats. "Right, today I want to work on a few of the new things that I discussed at the beginning of the term. Adrien, we will be working on performing magic on command, similar to that which you performed at the Malfoy Manor at the end of last year. And Avery, I think we can try contacting the tree nymphs for the first time," said Dumbledore, getting up and indicating for us to follow.

We followed him down the narrow set of stairs down to his back garden. Like he had promised last time, he had created a small pond off to the side that Adrien would be practicing with.

"Adrien, would you like to start?" said Dumbledore, to which Adrien nodded.

"Alright, I want you to work on moving the water in this pool. Move it in any way that comes naturally to you. This is a difficult skill, but I know you are capable," said Dumbledore reassuringly. Adrien nodded and focused his eyes on the pool of water.

He screwed up his face in concentration, but nothing happened. I saw him pause for a second and take a deep breath before focusing again, but nothing happened again. I could see small ripples forming in the water.

"Excellent job. You are attempting extremely advanced magic so that is definitely a good start," said Dumbledore in satisfaction. I knew that I was going to have to go next, but I suddenly realized that the good mood I was in earlier had been worn off and had been replaced by the feeling of anxiety I had been feeling all day. I had never really been able to perform my magic when I was in a distressed state of mind. Dumbledore turned to me and beckoned me forward.

"So, Avery. You have communicated with the nymphs before, so you do know what to do. I would like you to try it again, and see what happens," he advised. I nodded and closed my eyes to concentrate, as I usually did.

I wasn't sure if it was my lack of sleep or my fragile emotional state, but I couldn't even feel the magic tingling through my body like I usually did. I tried concentrating, but I just had too many other things roaming around my head right now. I couldn't stop thinking about my problems long enough to concentrate on the task at hand.

After a few seconds of nothing happening, I stopped pretending to focus and looked up at Dumbledore, who was giving me a searching look. It made me a little uncomfortable because I felt like Dumbledore was reading my mind.

"Alright, I think that we will have to work on this again next week," he said, finally tearing his eyes away from me. He turned around and walked up the stairs back to his office.

"Good evening, Adrien," said Dumbledore, dismissing the little boy. After Adrien had left the room, Dumbledore motioned for me to sit down in the chair across from his desk.

"Is something bothering you, my dear?" he asked, kindly. I considered lying for a second, and telling him that everything was just fine, but this was Dumbledore we'er talking about. He probably already knew all my current problems.

"I'm just stressed, is all," I said.

"Ah, yes. You and Harry are having problems, I take it?" he asked. (_See, told you!)_

"Yeah, we are. He's not taking this whole Draco Malfoy thing too well. He's really upset at me for offering to help him," I confessed to the elderly Headmaster. I felt my cheeks burn a little bit because it was a little bit embarrassing to be talking to Professor Dumbledore about my boyfriend troubles.

"What you must understand about Harry is that he is quite selfless. I do not think he is angry at your helping Draco because of their past animosity. Rather, I think that Harry is afraid of what could happen to you and his other friends if this is some kind of trick," said Dumbledore.

"But this isn't a trick, right?" I asked.

"No, I do not think it is. Draco would not have asked to have his mother rescued if this was some kind of trick. Harry's frustration has more to do with protecting you than anything, I think," explained Dumbledore.

"But what should I do then? I told him that maybe we should come and talk to you so that you could explain everything to him, but he refused. He's just being so stubborn about the whole thing," I said wearily.

"Draco is trying desperately to figure out a way of making up for his past actions. I think that sooner that you think, Draco will prove himself to Harry in some way," said Dumbledore.

"I hope so. I don't know if I can function like this," I sighed, dramatically. I looked up to see Dumbledore giving me an amused smile.

"Young love," he muttered to himself. He then told me that I should get back to Gryffindor Tower and wished me a good night. After leaving Dumbledore's office I actually felt slightly better. Dumbledore's words gave me hope that Harry would soon get his act together and stop being so difficult. Now it was just a matter of waiting for it to happen...

**Draco POV**

I entered the Slytherin common room after a long day of classes. I was extremely tired and I was ready to curl up in bed, even though it was barely seven o'clock. After everything that had happened recently I couldn't bare to be in the company of the other Slytherins. All they ever did was talk about how much they hated muggleborns. It made me a little bit sick to listen to, actually.

I tried to sneak by the group that was sitting in the common room, but I wasn't so lucky. As soon as I passed by, Pansy Parkinson saw me and immediately rushed over to greet me.

"Drakie! Where have you been?" she asked in her most annoying baby voice and she threw her arms around my neck. I shook her off, and pulled away from her embrace.

"I had things to do, Parkinson," I sneered, really not wanting to deal with her.

"Oh, I was worried about you Drakie. You've barely talked to me all week. Are you alright?" she asked, taking my hand in hers. I pulled my hand back again, hoping that she would get the hint this time.

"I'm perfectly fine. Actually, I'm doing marvellously!" I said, truthfully.

"Really? What have you been up to lately?" she asked suspiciously.

"That is none of your concern," I growled.

"Oh, well you don't have to get short with me, Drakie. Anyway, why don't you come join us. We're talking about those the mudblood that Nott trapped in the dungeons for the entire night," she said with a laugh.

"Don't you get tired of this bullshit, Pansy?" I asked, seriously.

"What are you talking about, Drakie?" she asked.

"Of all of this bullshit? Just sitting around and talking about how muggles are scum? Don't you find it boring?" I asked.

"You used to love to talk about that. What happened to you?" she asked, giving up the hope of trying to hold my hand.

"Thing change, Pansy. I just don't think it's fun to sit here and waste all my time talking about what each muggleborns in Hogwarts is doing," I shrugged, pushing past her and heading for my dorm. I knew that she would already be telling the Slytherins about how strangely I was acting, but I didn't care anymore. It was just unfortunate that I would have to continue living with these idiots until graduation, which was nearly two years away.

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><p><strong>Hey, all. So here is chapter 20! Hope you all liked it! Leave me reviews and let me know what you likeddisliked! It's always helpful! Thanks :)**


	21. Chapter 21

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Hey, everyone. Sorry it took me a couple of days to get this chapter out! I'm really busy at the moment because I'm moving back to university in two days, so I've been packing and getting ready!**

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><p>It had been more than a week since Harry had ended things. It had been a rough couple of days. Since we had split up Harry hadn't said one word directly to me, though I did see him sneaking glances at me when we were in classes. It made me feel a little bit hopeful that we would be able to fix things. To be honest, even after everything that had happened between me and Harry, I was still desperately in love with him. Even though I knew I should be more angry with him, I could bring myself to hate him. The only thing that I felt when I looked at Harry was sadness. Though I didn't admit it, I was positive that I would take him back in a heartbeat if he asked.<p>

On top of the unhappiness, I was also feeling incredible guilt. Ron and Hermione had distanced themselves from Harry. They wouldn't tell me what had happened, and I didn't push them. I just felt terrible that I had something to do with their issues with Harry. I told them a couple of times that I wouldn't be upset if they spent time with Harry, but they insisted that they weren't doing it simply for my sake, so I let it go.

All of this stress had caused me to lose many hours of sleep, and it was definitely not due to a lack of trying. I had always had trouble sleeping, but it was becoming a little bit ridiculous. If I did get any sleep at all, I would fall asleep during the early hours of the morning, only to be awoken by Hermione two or three hours later. I just lay in my bed obsessing about mine and Harry's parting words to each other, and that was definitely not helping me get over things. Luckily we were making sleeping potions in Potions class, so I nicked a few vials when Slughorn's back was turned. That took care of that problem, but there were still so many things that just seemed to be going wrong for me.

My lessons with Dumbledore had taken a dramatic turn for the worst. Since our last disastrous session, we had two more meetings. I had been working on contacting the Dryads, nothing had changed. I was still having a lot of difficulties, and the disappointed looks that Dumbledore was giving me was not helping anything! I felt even worse because Adrien was improving so quickly, and I was just failing miserably.

Dumbledore seemed to understand though. If anything, he seemed concerned about me, which I appreciated. After both of our lessons he made me stay after and talked to me about what was going on with Harry, ensuring me each time that Harry would come around eventually. I just nodded and gave him a weak smile when he said this, because I really didn't want to get my hopes up.

I think the worst part of the week had been quidditch practices. Harry had no choice to but to interact with me. He never talked to me directly though, and talked to the chasers collectively instead of saying anything to me personally. Even with that, I could tell that he was avoiding my eyes, and was talking more to the other two chasers than me.

In order to get through the day I had been throwing myself into my work. This was probably the only good thing that came out of my breakup with Harry. I had given up trying to study in the common room while Harry was at the other end chatting with his friends, so I had claimed a table in the library. Whenever I wasn't in class, meals, quidditch practice or meetings with Dumbledore, I was sitting in an isolated corner of the Charms section surrounded with numerous books and pieces of parchment.

That was where I was right now – sitting in the Charms section of the library attempting to translate a paragraph for Ancient Runes, though I was having a lot of trouble. I had a short day today, since Flitwick was sick with the flu and had cancelled my last class, and had been sitting here ever since.

Finally, I threw my parchment and quill down onto the desk. I decided that I couldn't sit here any longer. I gathered up my books and tossed out the parchment that was strewn about, before leaving the library. I didn't feel like going back to the Gryffindor tower, especially since it wasn't even curfew yet. No, I decided to go outside for a little while. I figured that sitting in my garden could help clear my mind. I descended down several flights of stairs and exited through the huge door in the Entrance Hall. I made my way down the tiny path to where my garden was hidden.

I sat down against one of the trees and rested my head against the trunk, closing my eyes. Being out in nature, I felt more alive than I had in more than a week. I ran my fingers through the grass and slipped off my shoes, letting my feet sink into the mud a little bit. My face spread into the first smile I had worn in a while. Just then I heard someone next to me clear their throat. I opened my eyes to see an amused looking Draco standing at the edge of the garden.

"Draco, hey," I said, wiping the goofy grin off my face.

"Hey, Ava. What are you smiling at?" he asked.

"Oh, just haven't gotten any fresh air in a while. How'd you find this place?" I asked, changing the subject quickly.

"It wasn't really difficult. This is the only area that has trees with green leaves on it, so I assumed you had something to do with it," he shrugged. I glanced around to see that all the leaves were now orange.

"Oh, I didn't even notice. Wow, it's already October, huh?" I said in surprise.

"Yeah, it is," he said with a small chuckle.

"Ok, ok. You don't have to laugh at me. So, do you want to sit down?" I offered, indication to me space of grass next to me.

"Sure," he said, taking a seat beside me.

"So, how are you doing, Draco?" I asked, for lack of anything better to say.

"Oh, better actually. I'm actually feeling better than I had in years," he confessed. I felt a small smile spread across my face.

"That's really great. I'm so glad that things are going better for you," I said honestly. "So, how is it living with the Slytherins now?"

"It's just as bad as ever, except I've given up pretending to agree with all of the bullshit that they're always going on about," he explained.

"That must be a relief," I said.

"You have no idea. So, what about you? How are you doing after..." his voice trailed off. It was pretty well known around the school that Harry Potter was single once again. I hesitated for a second, trying to figure out the right words.

"I'm terrible, actually," I admitted, managing to give him a weary smile.

"I'm so sorry. I feel like this is all my fault. I'll go and talk to Harry and tell him that I'm serious about this. Or if there's something else you think will make this better, please tell me and I'll do it right away," he rambled.

"Don't worry, Draco. I don't blame you for any of this. This is Harry's issue, not mine. And besides, do you think that Harry would really listen to you?" I asked.

"I suppose you're right about that. I just feel terrible that you guys are fighting because of me. I honestly didn't mean for any of this to happen," said Draco.

"I know you didn't. I promise that I'm not mad at you. Harry just needs to grow up a little bit, and get over this issue because you're both fighting on the same side now," I sighed.

"Thanks," said Draco, quietly.

"Don't mention it," I said. "So, have you started that damn Runes translation?" I said, changing the subject.

"Ugh, don't even talk to me about it! I don't know how my mother managed to convince me to take that damn class! It takes me nearly an hour to get through one line of translation!" he cried, making me laugh.

"Yeah, the one we got today is a real bitch," I agreed.

"Oh, please! What did you get on your O.W.L.s? I'm sure you got an O," he chuckled.

"Well, regardless, it's still difficult," I said, making him roll his eyes at me. I shivered slightly as I gust of wind blew over us.

"Are you cold?" he asked. Before I could answer or protest, he shrugged off his cloak and draped it around my shoulders.

"Thanks, but you don't have to," I said, awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it! It's the least I can do," he said. As I sat there, talking to Draco, I realized what a bizarre scenario this was. Here was Draco Malfoy, one of my sworn enemies, sitting with me in my garden and chatting about Puddlemere United's chances at the Quidditch World Cup. It was almost too strange, but then again, I definitely couldn't make this up if I tried.

It had started getting a little bit dark when I saw the owls. As Draco and I were talking, I noticed two brown specks approaching us. As the specks became larger I realized that they were two barn owls coming our way. I nudged Draco, who looked in the direction I was nodding and saw the owls swooping towards us.

"Who do you think those are from?" he muttered. I shrugged in response, as the owls touched down beside us. Draco undid the letters and handed me the one with my name on it, before ripping open his own. I saw the Hogwarts seal on the back and realized it must be from Dumbledore. I pulled open the envelope and read the note.

_Avery,_

_ Please come to my office when you get this._

_ Regards,_

_ Albus Dumbledore_

"What does yours say?" Draco asked.

"To go to Dumbledore's office. Yours?" I asked.

"Same. Let's go," he said, jumping up from the grass. He held out his hand and pulled me off the ground. We hurried back to the castle, curious about why Dumbledore was calling both of us to his office. I muttered the password when we reached the gargoyle, and lead Draco up the stairs to the office. I rapped loudly at the door.

"Come in," said Dumbledore, so I pushed open the door.

"Hey, Professor," I said, as I took a seat in front of him, followed by Draco.

"Good day to you both. I have called you here today because I have some news regarding Draco's mother," he said. I noticed Draco stiffen beside me, and I could see some of the colour in his face drain. I reached over and took his hand in a reassuring manner. He gave me a grateful nod, and squeezed my hand back.

"Today, several of the Order members were able to get Draco's mother safely out of the mansion while Lucius was at work. She is currently hiding in a hidden location that I cannot say. The main thing is that she is safe and happy," said Dumbledore with a happy smile. I smiled in relief, as I had been assuming that Dumbledore had called us here to share bad news. I looked over at Draco, who had a couple of tears trailing down his cheeks.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. I don't know what else to say," he choked out.

"No thanks is necessary, my boy. The Order exists to protect people – we are just doing our job," said Dumbledore kindly, to which Draco nodded.

"Well, that is all I wanted to say. I suggest you both return to your respective Towers now, so that you are not caught outside after curfew," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.

"Thank you, sir," said Draco, as we left. As soon as we were past the gargoyle, he stopped walking and turned to me. He took a step closer and put his arms around me. I was surprised at first but I returned the hug, knowing that he really needed a friend right now. After a few seconds, he let go and stepped back.

"Ok, I'm going to go now. Thanks for everything," he said.

"No problem," I said, as I turned to leave.

"Oh, and Ava, if you think of anything I can do to fix the situation with Harry, please let me know," he said. I gave him a tiny smile, and continued on my way, back to Gryffindor Tower, feeling happier than I had for days now.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it! Review and give me feedback! It's much appreciated! Thanks! :)<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**All the events in this chapter take place AFTER the previous chapter. It's not just Harry's POV at the same time!**

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><p><strong>Harry POV<strong>

It had been two weeks since I had broken up with Ava, and I wasn't really sure how had managed. This had been the worst two weeks of my life; not only was I not speaking to my girlfriend, but my two best friends weren't speaking to me either. I knew I deserved it all though because I had been a complete asshole, but I was just too proud to admit I was wrong. I had taken to hanging out with Neville, Seamus and Dean when he wasn't busy with Ginny, but they weren't nearly as fun as my friends. All they ever did was talk about quidditch and girls. I just laughed along with them, even though my mind was elsewhere.

While they were busy talking about the various "hot girls" at the school, I was too busy staring at Ava to care. It was so difficult watching her from across the dining table or across the class room and knowing that I couldn't talk to her. It was also really tough to see how upset she clearly was about the whole thing. She had developed large bags under her eyes, which I assumed were from lack of sleep. It was even worse because I couldn't talk to Ron about the whole thing. I was definitely not comfortable talking to Neville, Seamus and Dean about Ava at all. When they had asked why we broke up, I had just made up some excuse about us not being compatible, and they easily let it go.

I had notice that she had stopped sitting with Ron and Hermione in the common room after classes. I had checked the map and saw that she had been spending a lot of time in the library. There had been so many times that I had considered going up to the library and begging her to take me back, but I resisted the temptation, and ignored her.

It was difficult to ignore her all the time though, because she was in all my classes, as well as on the quidditch team. I tried my best not to talk or look at her too much, because it would just make it more difficult to stay away from her. Sooo, I just admired her from afar. I hope that doesn't sound too much like stalking. I just needed to make sure that she was alright, and glancing at her from across the classroom was the only contact I could really have.

I had just finished a two hour quidditch practice ignoring Ava, and it had been exhausting. I was so relieved when it was finally late enough that I could call the team in.

"Alright, everyone gather around," I called, as I touched down to the ground. Everyone floated down to the ground and hopped off their brooms before forming a semi-circle around me.

"That was a great practice, everyone. I'm confident that we're going to win the Quidditch Cup this year. Just keep practicing during the week whenever you get a chance, and I will see you all at the same time next week!" I said, nodding to the team as they headed for the changing rooms. I went around and threw the Quaffle and the Bludgers (well, I wrestled them) into the trunk and carried it to the storage shed. Just a few short weeks ago, Ava and I had been snogging in this very same shed. I sighed at the memory and made my way to the changing room.

I must have been standing in the shed for longer than I realized because by the time I was in the change room, it was empty. Not really interested in going back to the common room, I stripped off the sweaty quidditch gear, and went to the shower. I allowed the steaming water to run over my aching muscles, though it didn't help too much. After nearly half an hour of standing under the shower I finally decided that it was time to get out. I quickly put on a pair of sweatpants and made my way back to the lockers to find my shirt.

As I combed through my locker for my t-shirt, I heard a noise behind me and saw that the door was opening. Just as I turned, the door flew open and Cho Chang walked in. She didn't see me at first, and went straight to the lockers on the other side of the room. She opened up one of the lockers and started searching for something. I deliberately made a noise with my locker, to let her know I was there, and she jumped violently. She turned slowly and seemed to flush when she saw me.

"Harry, what are you still doing here?" she giggled.

"I was just taking a long shower. What about you?" I asked politely. I had had a brief crush on Cho Chang back in fourth year, but she had been seeing Cedric at the time. After his death, I could tell that she wanted to pursue something with me, but obviously I was with Ava. As I look back on it, I can't imagine why I had a crush on her. We didn't have much in common, and we had no chemistry. I think the only reason I had liked her in the first place was because she was pretty.

"I forgot my Potions textbook in here!" she said, holding up her book.

"Oh, alright," I said, awkwardly, not really sure what else to say.

"So, how is your team looking this year?" she asked. Cho was the captain of the Ravenclaw quidditch team.

"It's looking alright I think. The Beaters need a little bit of work – they don't compare to Fred and George – but I think I can whip them into shape," I laughed.

"Well, you're going to have to work hard. My team is looking really great this year! We have a new keeper that is absolutely spectacular! He's never let in a goal!" she said, happily.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind. We should be alright though," I said with a smile. I assumed that she was going to leave now so I started to turn back to my locker.

"So, can I ask you something?" she said quietly, taking a seat on one of the benches beside the lockers.

"Sure," I said curiously.

"Why are you hiding out down here?" she asked, with a smirk.

"I'm not _hiding_! I was just taking a shower!" I shrugged.

"Were you hiding from Avery?" she asked.

"Not hiding," I insisted.

"It's a shame that you two broke up," said Cho, getting off the bench and taking a few steps towards me.

"Yeah, I suppose," I muttered in response.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"I've been better, I guess," I replied. I felt a delicate hand on my bicep and looked to see Cho running her hand over my bare arms.

"You know, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm around," she said, seductively.

"Well, I'm doing alright, but I'll keep that in mind," I said, casually taking a step over to my quidditch bag to get out of Cho's grasp. She was beside me in a second.

"Are you sure? You look so sad," she whispered, reaching up and resting her hand on my naked chest.

"Well, I did just break up with my girlfriend. Of course I'm sad," I said. I had never been especially good with girls so I wasn't sure how to politely excuse myself! Especially because I couldn't find my damn shirt!

"I can make you feel better," she whispered again, trailing her hand down my chest. I had to do _something_!

"Look, Cho. You know I just got out of a really serious relationship... I'm not ready for anything right now," I said. I her frown slightly for a split second, but replaced it with a smile.

"Oh, Harry. You're always so serious. I can make you forget about all of this," she said, taking a step closer to me. I stepped back as well, and found my back pressed against the lockers.

"I still love Ava," I said, trying to get her off me. This time the frown returned to her face, but didn't disappear.

"What do you see in her? Really, Harry! I'm here, throwing myself at you, and all you can think of is that bitch," she snapped, detaching her hand from my body.

"Hey, don't talk about her like that!" I hissed angrily. Cho gave me a dirty look, before turning around and leaving me alone in the changing room. I sighed in relief, glad that she didn't try anything else with me. I glanced over at the bench and realized that my shirt had been sitting there the whole time. I thankfully put it on and picked up my bag, before leaving the change room and walking back to the castle. I stuck my wand in the pocket of my sweatpants.

As I walked through the hallway, I thought I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and saw nobody there, so I continued on my way. I heard another noise behind me and turned around again, this time I was sure someone was there.

"Who's there?" I said, grasping the handle of my wand which was sticking out of my pocket.

"Why, hello Potter," said a voice. Out of the shadows stepped Pansy Parkinson. Behind her, Crabbe, Goyle and two other unknown Slytherins stepped into view as well. All of them had their wands drawn.

"What are you doing here, Parkinson?" I demanded.

"Oh, just wanted a little chat with you, is all," she said.

"I'm not interested in talking to you," I snapped.

"Well, I guess we don't have to talk at all. Imagine how happy the Dark Lord will be when I bring him Harry Potter's body..." she said, in a carrying whisper. I felt my insides turn cold.

"What are you on about?" I hissed.

"Oh, I'm going to kill you, Potter. I'm going to kill you right now and deliver your body to my master," she explained. I very slowly drew my wand and held it out in front of me.

"Do you really think you can beat me? I've gone up against your "master" a few times now, and I have walked away every time. What makes you think that you'll be able to kill me," I said, trying to stall for time. She let out a humourless laugh.

"_Crucio_," she screamed.

"_Protego_," another voice shouted from behind me. I turned to see who had just saved me. Standing behind me was Draco Malfoy, wand extended in front of him. If I hadn't just witnessed it, I wouldn't have believed it myself, but Draco Malfoy had just helped me.

"Drakie! What are you doing?" said Parkinson, taking a wary step towards us.

"Don't come any closer," he sneered.

"Don't tell me you're on their side now?" she scoffed.

"Alright, I won't tell you then," he shrugged.

"Drakie! You're one of us. What is your father going to say?" she pleaded.

"I don't care what he says. I'm done with him, and you, and your pathetic 'master'," said Malfoy.

"You can't mean that, Draco. Please," she begged.

"_Stupefy_," he cried, unexpectedly sending a stunning spell at her. Parkinson wasn't expecting the curse, and she was blasted with the jet of light. She fell to the ground, but that still left her goons behind her.

As soon as Parkinson hit the floor, all hell broke loose. The Slytherins began sending every curse they could think of at Malfoy and I. Crabbe and Goyle were knocked out within seconds and were lying beside Parkinson. Now, there were just two left. I was sending curses at one of the boys, and Malfoy was fighting the other.

"_Expelliarmus_," I cried, managing to disarm my opponent. I quickly shot him with a stunning spell, sending him falling to the ground. Just then, Malfoy hit his opponent with a jet of red light, and the he fell to the ground, unconscious.

As soon as I realized that they were all on the ground I lowered my wand, though I didn't relax my grip. I turned to Malfoy slowly, who was flushed with adrenaline.

"Why did you do that?" I asked, quietly.

"Because, I meant what I said before. I'm done with them! I'm on your side now!" he said confidently.

"How can I trust you?" I asked.

"I don't know. We obviously haven't been the best of friends, so I know you don't have any reason to trust me. I suppose that you'll just have to hope that I am telling you the truth, which I am," he added.

"It's difficult, though. We haven't been best friends. I've seen you hurt people really close to me and I don't know if I can change that opinion of you," I admitted.

"I suppose you'll see. Like it or not, we're on the same side now. You either have to fight with me, or not at all, because I have just as much reason to fight as you do," said Malfoy. He did seem sincere, and he had just helped me fend off those Slytherins. I took a few steps towards Malfoy, who flinched slightly. He probably thought I was going to hit him or something. Instead, I held out my hand.

Malfoy seemed shocked by the gesture, but he recovered quickly. He reached out his own hand and shook mine.

"Thanks," he said, with a uncharacteristic smile. I nodded slightly.

"Thanks for helping me with them," I said, indicating to the unconscious people behind us.

"Not at all," he said. He nodded at me, and then turned to start to leave. Then, he turned back – like he wanted to say something. He hesitated for a second.

"She's really hurting, you know," he told me.

"How do you know?" I demanded, trying to keep the accusatory tone out of my voice.

"I went to her to apologize for this whole mess, because I felt like it was my fault, and we just started talking. She's really devastated by the whole thing," he explained. I nodded slightly, as Malfoy turned and walked down the hallway. I was left standing there, confused, yet hopeful at the same time.

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><p><strong>Hope you liked! Yay! Draco and Harry aren't enemies anymore! :) Leave reviews and give me feedback! IT's much appreciated! THANKS!<strong>


	23. Chapter 23

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Hey, all. This is going to have a bunch of Harry POV in it. I'm sorry if you don't like this format, but it's definitely necessary.**

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><p><strong>Avery POV<strong>

I went back to the Gryffindor Tower feeling happy. I was even wearing a smile on my face. I had finally decided something. I was done being so pathetic and wallowing in self-pity. It was just too much effort, and I was tired of being sad. No, I had decided that I was going to be happy. I had to accept that Harry didn't want to be with me anymore and there was nothing I could do about it. They way I saw it, I had two choices: I could either continue to be heartbroken, and hope that Harry would take me back, or I could get over it and find new ways to be happy. I entered the Gryffindor tower and saw Ron and Hermione sitting together on the couch.

"Hi, guys!" I said, with a grin, and I fell back onto the couch. They looked at me in surprise, as they had only seen me in my zombie-like state for the last two weeks,

"Hi, Ava," said Ron cautiously.

"How are you both doing? I feel like I haven't really spoken to either of you in days!" I said.

"That's because you haven't really. Why are you suddenly in such a good mood?" asked Hermione, ignoring my question.

"I've made a decision. I'm going to be happy. I just done with being sad, so I'm not going to be anymore. I have to start to move on sometime," I shrugged.

"That's very mature of you, Ava. What brought on this new attitude?" she asked.

"I was talking to Draco for a while," I said, getting surprised looks from my friends. "Oh, I got sick of sitting in the library, so I went down to my garden and he decided to join me. He was just talking to me and it just made me realize that there are so many worse things that could happen to me. Look at Draco! He's had a terribly hard life, but yet he's still managing to stay positive. I need to do that too! I can't wallow anymore!" I explained.

"Wow. Who would have thought that Malfoy would be a good influence on you?" said Ron with a chuckle, making me laugh as well. We started chatting about some of the new gossip going on around the school, when Ron suddenly stopped talking and looked up. He suddenly looked angry. I followed his eyes up to see that Harry had just entered the common room. I felt a pang in my heart as I looked at him, and quickly averted my eyes. He seemed to linger in the common room for a few seconds, just looking over at us, before he went up to be.

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><p><strong>Harry POV<strong>

I lay in bed that night thinking about Draco Malfoy. Yes, you read that correctly. And, no – get your mind out of the gutter. After our duel with the Death Eaters in training, Malfoy had left me standing alone in the hallway, trying to make any sense of what had just happened. I still couldn't understand what I had just witnessed. Malfoy had just _saved_ me from a pack of his friends. No matter how I said it, it just didn't compute. I knew that Ava had claimed that Malfoy had changed his ways, and I hadn't really believed her, but tonight I had seen a different side of him. I was finally willing to accept him onto our side.

As soon as I returned to the common room, I wanted to rush up to my friends and tell them all about what had just happened. However, when I saw the glares that Ron was shooting me, and Ava's deliberate attempts to avoid looking at me, I decided otherwise. Instead, I went up to my bed and closed the curtains surrounding me. Ever since then I had just been thinking.

I couldn't help but replay the last thing that Malfoy had said to me, just before he left earlier, over and over in my head.

_She's really hurting... She's devastated over the whole thing. _Ever time I muttered these words to myself, I couldn't help but smile. After tonight's events, I knew that Malfoy wasn't just saying these things to mess with me. So, what did it mean? Did it mean that she wanted to get back together? Well, clearly not. She certainly did not seem happy to see me when I had come through the common room earlier. And how could I blame her? I had been terrible to her. Maybe if I apologized she would forgive me, and then she could take me back. Or I could get on my knees and beg her to take me back.

I made a decision. I was going to find some way to get Ava back, no matter what I had to do. Too bad I didn't know at the time, that Ava was doing the exact opposite. I decided to put my plan into motion the next morning in class. Finally, I was able to close my eyes and drift off into sleep.

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><p>The next morning I got up and got ready as quickly as possible. As soon as I was ready I gathered up my bag and books and made my way to breakfast. I was one of the first Gryffindors to arrive in the Great Hall, so I sat by myself close to where Ava, Ron and Hermione always sat. In another ten minutes, more and more students began to arrive for breakfast. Finally, I saw a flash of red hair and looked up to see Ron and Hermione trudging into the Hall, followed by an exhausted but happy looking Ava. I looked up at them hopefully, wanting them to come and sit with me. But of course, they didn't bother. They took the furthest seats away from me, and began piling their plates with food. I sighed with frustration. I mean, I didn't expect them to just come and sit with me after everything, but I been crossing my fingers under the table.<p>

I ate in silence, even after Neville and Seamus joined me. They began talking about something, but I couldn't even be bothered to pretend like I was listening. I was too busy staring at the gorgeous girl that was sitting to my right. I noticed that she was smiling a lot more today than she had been for a while now. Every time she laughed I felt my stomach fill with butterflies, and I felt myself smiling slightly as she began talking enthusiastically with Hermione about something (probably the potions essay...).

I considered going over and talking to them, but decided not to do that. I needed to talk to Ava alone, and pulling her out of the Great Hall right now would just give people gossip.

After breakfast, my first class was Defence with Snape. Ever since he had taken over that class I had dreaded going, but today was different. I was really excited because I got to sit behind Ava! I walked cheerfully to class and took my seat. The rest of the students filed in as well and took their respective seats.

"Today," began Snape, as he strode into the classroom, "you will be partnering up and working on your Stunning spells. I will choose your partners." He began listing off the names. He paired Ron with Millicent Bulstrode (who knows how she managed to get into Advanced Defence), and Hermione was paired with Ernie MacMillian.

"Potter and Alexander," called out Snape. I looked at him just in time to see his satisfied smirk. Clearly he knew that Ava and I had broken up and he was just pairing her with me to make things more difficult. Little did he know that I couldn't have been happier at this moment. I picked up my things and made my way to the desk in front of me.

"Hey," I said, as I sat down beside her. She didn't even look up at me.

"Hi," she muttered.

"Please begin," said Snape. I got up, with Ava beside and went to the centre of the class where everyone was conjuring cushions for their partners to fall onto. I did the same and laid them out around us.

"So, do you want to go first, or should I?" she asked.

"Uh, you can stun me first," I offered. She shrugged and pointed her wand at me. With a slight flick of her wand I felt myself being blasted back onto the pillows, and I was frozen. After a few seconds I felt the paralysis wear off and I stood back up.

"Nice one," I said with a smile, which she did not return.

"Just stun me," she sighed. I pointed my wand at her and flicked it, as gently as possible, causing her to fall back onto the cushions before quickly reviving her.

"Ok, go again," I said. She flicked her wand again, this time a little bit too aggressively and sent me flying backwards. I completely missed the cushions and sailed right into Snape's desk, causing the contents to be pushed onto the floor.

"Potter! What are you doing?" he demanded as Ava quickly rushed over to revive me.

"It was my fault, Professor," she said.

"Detention for both of you! Tonight at eight!" he snapped, before flicking his wand so that everything on his desk was perfect again.

"I'm sorry," said Ava quietly as Snape walked away from us.

"Don't worry. It was an accident! Besides, one more detention isn't going to hurt," I said, trying to hide my delight. Even though Snape was being a jerk by giving me detention, he had finally given me the alone time I needed with Ava.

"Class is over. Please vanish the cushions," said Snape. We all packed up and headed towards our next class. That day turned out to be the longest day I had ever had, as I couldn't stop thinking about my detention later that night.

Finally, when classes were done I immediately went to the common room and picked up my homework. I decided that I wanted to get it all done before my detention tonight so that I could spend as much time as I possibly could talking to Ava.

Eventually, it was late enough that I could make my way to Snape's classroom. When I got there, Ava was already waiting at the door. She greeted me with a nod.

"There you are. Come in," said Snape. We filed into the room after him.

"Today, you will be cleaning the classroom – without magic. I will be back in a few hours to see the progress you have made," he said, before turning around and leaving us. Ava immediately picked up a cloth and began dusting off the book shelves. I followed suit and started polishing the tables.

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><p><strong>Ok, I have to stop here! This one is a bit of a filler, but the next one is going to be awesome. I'm definitely going to put that one up later today, but for now I have to leave! Review and let me know what you thought! THANKS! <strong>


	24. Chapter 24

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p><strong>Avery POV<strong>

"So, how are you doing?" asked Harry, trying to cut the silent tension. I stopped scrubbing the window and looked up at him.

"I've been better, I suppose," I admitted, giving him a weak smile. "How are you?"

"I've been better, too, I suppose," he mimicked, with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess a break up will do that to a person, huh?" I shrugged, turning back to the window wiping off a smudge. I heard him turn back to washing the chalk board. We worked in silence for a few minutes longer.

"So, what did you think of the potions essay?" he asked me.

"It was easy! I've read all about the Wolfsbane potion before, so it wasn't too tough!" I said, trying to figure out why he was talking to me at all.

"Yeah, it wasn't bad. I've talked to Remus about it before. He explained everything to me, so I didn't have to do a lot of research or anything!" he exclaimed, happily. I laughed at how excited he got by this.

"Well, that too. Remus told me a lot about his transformations this summer. It was really interesting. I can't believe Snape actually prepared the potion for him when he was teaching at Hogwarts!" he mused.

"I know. But I guess it's because Dumbledore told him to do it. I don't know, though. I think Snape isn't as bad as he seems," I shrugged.

"Well, if that's the case then I'd certainly have to see it to believe it! I don't know if I would trust Snape to make me a potion," he laughed. We continued to make small talk, laughing as we worked. We began mopping the floors together. Harry conjured two buckets of water and two mops for us.

"I think you missed a spot there, Potter," I joked, earning myself a dirty look from Harry.

"Quiet, Alexander. I've had years of practice mopping floors! If anything, you missed a spot!" said Harry.

"Excuse me? There isn't a speck on my half of the classroom! Look at all that dirt in that corner over there!" I said, turning around and mopping under the desks.

"Oh, yeah?" I heard him say. Suddenly, I felt something cold and wet hit my head. I turned around to see Harry looking at me sheepishly.

"For your own safety, please tell me that you did not just dump dirty mop water on my head," I said, narrowing my eyes at him and trying my best to keep the smile off my face.

"Well, I can't tell you that. Sorry," he grinned.

"Harry James Potter! You are going to be so sorry you did that!" I cried. I picked up my own bucket and started chasing him around the room. He was surprisingly quick, and managed to dodge me as I ran after him with the dirty water. He ducked down and started crawling under the desks, causing me to lose sight of him.

"Oh, Harry? Come out, come out wherever you are!" I called, tiptoeing around the room, trying to catch sight of him.

Suddenly, I felt hands on my shoulder, and I jumped about a foot in the air. This caused me to slop some of the water down my front. I turned around to see Harry standing in front of me trying not to chuckle. I realized that he only just inches away from me.

"I am going to kill you!" I snapped as I flicked my wand and cleaned/dried myself off.

"No you're not! You love me!" he said, but he suddenly realized what he had said. I guess it had just been feeling like old times, and both of us had forgotten that we weren't actually together anymore.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean – I mean I shouldn't have –" he stuttered.

"No it's ok. I know you didn't mean it that way," I assured him, smiling at his embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking down at his feet.

"It's fine, Harry! It's just water!" I laughed.

"No, that's not what I mean. I'm sorry for everything," said Harry.

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"I was an idiot. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did to you helping Malfoy," he blurted out.

"Then why did you?" I asked.

"I couldn't handle the thought that he could hurt you again! If it had been some kind of trick, and you got hurt, I wouldn't be able to live with myself," muttered Harry.

"Oh..." I trailed off. "So, why the sudden change of mind?"

"Last night I was coming back from quidditch practice and some Slytherins cornered me," he began. I gasped loudly.

"What? Are you alright?" I asked, lifting my hand up and resting it on his forearm.

"I'm ok. But that's not it. There were five of them against me, and Parkinson was about to use the Cruciatus Curse on me, but Malfoy came along and started fighting against them with me. We managed to knock the five of them out," he explained.

"Seriously? So are you convinced now that Draco is on our side?" I asked, hopefully.

"Yes, I am. I should have believed you from the beginning, but I'm sure now! I'm just so sorry that I didn't believe you. I really didn't want anything to happen to you," said Harry.

"Wow... I wasn't expecting that," I said in awe.

"Well, I should have said it a long time ago!" he smiled. He glanced down at my hand which was still resting on his arm. He removed my hand from his arm, and I thought I had made him uncomfortable. I was about to apologize when he surprised me by taking a step forward. He took my hands in his.

"I understand if you can't forgive me, and if you don't want to take me back, but I miss you... and I need you," he whispered. I shivered at his words. I didn't say anything, and Harry took another step closer to me. He detached one of our hands, and brought it to my face to caress my cheek. I felt my face heat up as I blushed.

"Harry..." I started, but I was cut off because his lips were suddenly on mine. I didn't waste a second, and wrapped my arms around his neck and I deepened the kiss. After a few seconds, Harry pulled away.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," he began.

"Harry, shut up," I laughed, and pulled him closer, kissing him passionately. I could feel him smiling against my lips. To my disappointment he pulled away from me again.

"I love you, Ava. I'll never hurt you like that again," he promised.

"I know you won't. And I know you were just trying to look out for me. I love you too," I said, before pulling back again. For third time, he pulled away.

"Potter! What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I think I hear Snape coming!" he laughed. He quickly waved his wand and made the puddles of water on the ground disappear. The classroom door flew open, and Snape marched in and began surveying the room.

"I suppose this is acceptable. You may go," he said, after a few solid minutes of inspection. I quickly walked out of the door (just in case Snape changed his mind). As I stepped out of the classroom, I felt hands on my waist.

"Come on," said Harry, guiding me down the hallway opposite to the one that would lead us to the Gryffindor Tower.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I thought we could talk for a little bit," said Harry.

"Oh, alright," I nodded, allowing him to pull me up a staircase. After a few more flights of stairs I realized where we were going. We were headed for the seventh floor corridor, right where the entrance to the Room of Requirements was. As we approached the blank section of wall, Harry indicated for me to wait, and he began pacing. After a couple of seconds a small wooden door appeared. He pulled open the door, and allowed me to enter before shutting the door behind us. We were standing in a small room with a comfortable looking couch and a fireplace. I skipped over to the couch and flopped down. Harry laughed at me and took a seat beside me. He gently placed his arm around my shoulder. He seemed little bit uncertain, as if he wasn't sure I wanted him to put his arm around me, but instantly relaxed when I cuddled closer to his chest.

"I've missed you," he whispered. Instead of answering him, I pushed myself up and very lightly and briefly touched my lips to his. When I pulled away, Harry was grinning.

"So, I have a question for you?" he asked.

"Yes, dear?" I smirked.

"Well, I was just wondering what all of this means? I mean, are we back definitely together?" he asked.

"If you want to be, then yes," I told him.

"Then, yes!" said Harry. I grinned back at him and moved out of his grasp. I could tell that he was about to protest, but I sat myself on his lap so I was almost straddling him. This gave me perfect access to his lips and I took advantage of this fact. I didn't lose any time before pressing my lips to his in a sweet, yet passionate kiss. He very gently licked my lip with his tongue and I parted them slightly. The kiss was so intense that I was glad I was sitting down, because I would surely have collapsed if I had been standing.

I moved my lips slowly across his jaw and reached his neck. I gently sucked the skin on his neck, causing him to groan quietly. I removed my lips from his neck and looked up at him. As I opened my eyes, something caught my eye. The room seemed to have expanded considerably, and now there was an enormous king bed standing to our right. Harry noticed my gaze and followed my eyes to the bed.

"Oh – I don't know why that's there," he muttered, clearly embarrassed. Instead of feeling embarrassed, I pushed myself off Harry's lap and offered him my hand. He took it, though he looked slightly confused as I lead him to the bed.

"It's here because I was thinking about it," I confessed. Harry's eyes widened and gave me a questioning look. I nodded ever so slightly. Harry smiled at me, before pushing me back onto the bed. He lay down on top of me, supporting his weight with his elbows and started to kiss my neck. He started trailing the kisses across my collarbone and down to the neck of my shirt. He looked at me, as if to ask permission. I gave him a tiny, reassuring smile, as he pulled my shirt over my head. My self-consciousness lasted for only a few seconds because I was understandably suddenly distracted when Harry pulled his own shirt off and threw it on the floor next to mine.

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><p><strong>You can probably guess what happens next. So, yeah! Yay! They're back together! Hope you liked this chapter! Leave me reviews and let me know what you think! Just letting you all know that I'm going to be crazy busy for the next few days, so I don't know if I'll be able to update every single day like I have been! I'm going to try my best, but don't be surprised if there isn't a chapter up for a day or two! Anyway, thanks for reading! :D<strong>


	25. Chapter 25

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

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><p>"Harry, wake up!" I said, shaking my sleeping boyfriend. We had managed to drift off to sleep in the Room of Requirements after... well... you know! I had just woken up and realized what time it was.<p>

"Nooo, go back to sleep," he mumbled into the pillow.

"Get up! It's nearly two in the morning! If we spend the night here we're going to get an awful lot of awkward questions," I said, shaking him more vigorously.

"Let them ask! I don't care!" he grumbled, but he pulled the covers off himself and started getting dressed. I followed his lead and began pulling on my clothes.

"I can't find my bra," I sighed, as I started looking around the room. I turned to see Harry holding it on one finger, a smirk on his lips.

"Give me that," I said, my cheeks burning. I pulled it away from him and snapped it back on.

"What? It's not like I don't know what's under that," he laughed as he took a few steps towards me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Well, that's different," I shrugged.

"Uh huh? And how is that?" he asked.

"I don't know, ok? It just is," I told him. He just smirked and brought his lips towards mine. The kiss was brief, but sweet.

"Ok, let's go," I said when he pulled away. He gave me a playful dirty look before passing me my shirt. I pulled it over my head before following him out of the door. We crept through the hallway as quietly as possible. Luckily for us, Harry had brought the Marauders Map, so we were able to avoid Filch who was lurking down the sixth floor corridor.

"Does that man ever sleep," I whispered to Harry, who chuckled quietly. We turned the corner and walked to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She was definitely not pleased to be woken up but she grudgingly let us into the deserted common room. Harry walked me to the girls' staircase.

"So..." he started awkwardly. "Tonight was... amazing," he whispered, linking our hands.

"It was, wasn't it?" I smiled.

"It was perfect," he said, kissing me lightly.

"Well, I should get to bed. We have to be up in a few hours," I responded.

"Yeah, you're right. I should go too. Listen, I just want to let you know that I was serious about everything I said earlier. I'm really sorry about how terrible I was, and I'm really sorry that I didn't trust you," he said quietly.

"I know. Let's just put it behind us, alright?" I said, reaching up and stroking his cheek.

"Thanks. Well, goodnight then," he said, though he didn't let go of my hand.

"Goodnight. I love you," I said.

"I love you more," he promised, finally letting go of my hand. I turned around and walked up the stairs with a stupid grin on my face. As I entered my room, I quietly began to change and get ready for bed.

"What are you doing back so late?" I heard a groggy voice from behind me. I turned to see a sleepy looking Hermione yawning sitting up in bed.

"Shh, go back to sleep," I muttered.

"No, I'm already up! So where were you?" she demanded, sitting up straighter and turning to me.

"I was with Harry," I admitted, feeling my face flush.

"WHAT?" she said.

"Shh! You'll wake everyone up!" I hissed.

"Sorry! So, what happened?" she asked. I sighed and indicated that she follow me. She followed me out of the room and to the staircase outside our room, where we sat down. She turned to me and looked at me expectantly.

"Ok, fine. We were in detention and Snape left us to clean his office. We started playing around, and he dumped water on me. And anyway, one thing lead to another, and he ended up apologizing for everything – not trusting me, breaking up with me," I explained.

"So then what?" asked Hermione.

"Well, after Snape dismissed us, we went to the Room of Requirements to talk for a little bit," I told her.

"So you've been talking in the Room of Requirements for the last few hours?" she said, raising one eyebrow at me.

"Well..." I said, looking down at my lap. Hermione gasped beside me.

"Did you and Harry... have sex?" she asked. I couldn't look her in the eye.

"Well, if you want to get specific about it, then sure," I told her.

"Wow, I didn't expect that. So, you're back together again?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're back," I confirmed.

"Well, I'm really glad that Harry apologized. Good thing he's finally come to his senses! I'm happy that you're back together," said Hermione, nudging me slightly.

"Listen, Hermione. I'm sorry that you and Ron got put in the middle of our fight. I feel really terrible about everything," I said.

"Don't worry about it. I was mad at Harry too, for being such an idiot! You didn't put us in the middle at all!" she reassured me.

"Alright, well I'm still sorry!" I told her.

"Well, don't be. Now, I think we should go to sleep. We have class in a few hours," she said, getting up from her stair and pulling me up with her. We quietly crept back into the room and climbed into our respective beds. I was asleep in minutes, understandably tired from the days' events.

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><p>By the time breakfast was half finished, the whole school was buzzing about the fact that Avery Alexander and Harry Potter were back together again. I ignored the whispers and grasped Harry's hand confidently as we ate breakfast together.<p>

As soon as we sat down, Harry began profusely apologizing to Hermione and Ron, who graciously accepted.

"Are you sure you're both alright? I'm really sorry!" he said for the tenth time that morning.

"Harry, I'm going to hex you if you don't stop apologizing!" snapped Hermione, causing Harry to grin. I ignored both of them and turned back to my breakfast.

As I buttered a slice of toast, the Owl Post swept through the Great Hall. I wasn't really paying attention, so I was surprised when two owls landed in front of me. I pulled off the pieces of parchment attached to both of their legs and fed them both a piece of bread before shooing them away. I opened the first note.

_I see that you two are back together! I'm really glad. You deserve to be happy._

_ Draco_

I smiled at the kind note. I turned around and looked at Draco, who was sitting alone at the Slytherin table. He must have felt my eyes on him because he looked up. He caught my eye and nodded slightly at me. I nodded to our table, indicating that he should join us. It was clear that the other Slytherins knew about his allegiance with us, so it didn't make sense to hide it anymore. He seemed to be considering my offer for a few seconds. Then, he picked up his plate and made his way to the Gryffindor table. A few eyes followed him in surprise – they must have thought he was coming over to cause trouble. It was a big shock for them when he slid into the seat beside me and began chatting happily.

"Hey, everyone," he said, nodding to Ron, Hermione and Harry.

"Hey, Draco," said Harry, with a slight nod.

"So, are you all ready for the Charms quiz today?" he asked politely.

"We have a Charms quiz?" said Ron in a panicked voice.

"Ron! We studied for it two nights ago!" said Hermione, shaking her head at her boyfriend.

"Oh, is that what we were studying?" he asked.

"RON! You weren't even listening to me?" she said, smacking his arm. Harry, Draco and I burst out laughing at the exchange.

"Oops, did I start something here?" said Draco, glancing warily between the fuming couple.

"No, not at all. This happens at least three times during breakfast alone," said Harry.

"Good," he smiled. After the initial tension of Draco joining us, him and Harry actually began a friendly conversation about the Quidditch Cup this year.

"No, mate. Your team is much better offensively than ours!" said Draco.

"Yeah, but your beaters are a lot more aggressive than ours! That's definitely important," said Harry. I couldn't believe that Harry and Draco were arguing that the other one's team was better. I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

As I smiled down at my food, I noticed the second letter I had received, which was sitting unopened beside my goblet of pumpkin juice. I quickly pulled off the envelope and took out the note.

It read:

_Please come to my office tonight at 8pm. My favourite dessert is chocolate eclairs._

_ Albus Dumbledore_

I read through the note and stored it in my bag, turning my attention back to the quidditch argument.

"But your chasers are a lot more precise than ours! I don't know what to do to get them to aim for the middle hoop!" said Draco.

"I should lend you think book I have. It's been really helpful for me. It gives some good tips for chasers," said Harry.

"That would be really helpful! Thanks, Harry," said Draco. I couldn't believe my ears, as I glanced back and forth between the former enemies. They were being so cordial that it was almost unnerving.

"Alright, I think it's time to go to class," said Hermione, pulling me out of my daze. We collected our belongings and started off to class.

I felt happier than I had in weeks.

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><p><strong>Alright, hope you like it! Thanks for reviewing! Please continue, as it is really helpful for me, especially now that I'm so busy! It's really helpful for me to know what you guys are liking, and what could be improved upon! THANKS! <strong>


	26. Chapter 26

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Hey everyone! Thank you for being so patient with the lack of chapters! I'm finally settled and done the work stuff I've been doing for the last week SO I'm going to start posting again! Yay! Hope you enjoy!**

**Recap: Ava and Harry get back together, Ava gets a message to go to Dumbledore's office that night!**

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><p>As the clock ticked closer to eight o'clock I started packing up my books and untangled myself from Harry's arms. After being dismissed for class, we had spent the entire afternoon cuddling on the couch – well, at least most of it. Across from us, Ron and Hermione were huddled together in a similar fashion.<p>

Overall, it had been a pretty good day. We had spent the entire afternoon pretending to study, though in reality we were catching up – it had been two weeks since we had spent time all together. The four of us had only briefly vacated the common room to go down to dinner. Once we arrived, we were joined by a chipper looking Draco.

It was almost unbelievable to see the transformation he had made in the past few weeks. Draco was almost unrecognizable without the cocky smirk spread across his face. Instead, he had replaced his trademark grin with a genuinely happy smile. As it turns out, Draco was actually incredibly funny. Who would have known, right?

That wasn't even the most surprising part. No, the most surprising part was Draco and Harry's sudden camaraderie! They were actually getting along surprisingly well, though I could tell that Harry didn't completely trust Draco yet. It was understandable though – after their sordid past it was no wonder surprise that Harry was still wary. The important part was that he was trying.

We were among the only people that were particularly pleased with Draco's new affiliation with the Gryffindors. The other Gryffindors shot us a few apprehensive glances from across the table, but didn't say too much. Clearly they realized that something big must be going on if Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter were talking and laughing casually during dinner. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs possessed a similar attitude and whispered for a few minutes, but got bored soon after.

The Slytherins were not as understanding though. The whole lot of them seemed to be staring at the Gryffindor table throughout the entire hour we had been eating. Pansy Parkinson and the goons beside her were having a whispered conversation. She kept glancing up at us , making it even more obvious that she was talking about us. She looked like she was going to hex me from across the Great Hall, but I knew that even she wasn't stupid enough to try anything with Dumbledore sitting in the same room. Instead, she took to hissing to the other Death Eaters in Training.

I wasn't really worried about her though. The thought of taking her on in a duel was laughable. I had already fought against her master once. Fighting Pansy Parkinson would be almost too easy. At one point, she caught my eye. Instead of glaring back at her, I gave her a playful wink, which seemed to aggravate her even more! I decided to keep an eye out for her just in case she tried anything, but I was definitely ready if need be!

Slytherins aside, it had been an extremely pleasant evening. I laughed more than I had in a long time, and I couldn't help but grin. Even as I slaved over my Charms notes, I couldn't keep a tiny smile off my face. But, unfortunately it was time for my meeting with Dumbledore. Even though I usually enjoyed our training sessions, I was anxious to spend some more time with my boyfriend. As I shoved my books away, I saw someone approaching us from the corner of my eye.

"You ready to go?" asked Adrien with a toothy grin.

"Yes, I am. Just give me one second," I said. I leaned over and gave Harry a small kiss on the lips before getting up and following Adrien from the common room.

"So, you two are back together, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, finally," I said with a laugh.

"I'm glad. I was beginning to miss Harry," said Adrien. Being the loyal little boy that he was, Adrien had been giving Harry the silent treatment ever since we broke up.

"Well, I told you that you didn't have to ignore him! You could have hung out with him if you wanted!" I chuckled.

"How could I do that? He hurt you, so I didn't want to talk to him until he apologized!" he shrugged.

"Well, thanks, Adrien. I really appreciate that you care so much!" I said, giving him a brief side hug. We continued chatting as we trudged to Dumbledore's office. As we got closer, I started to feel a little bit nervous. I had been performing terribly for the last two weeks, and I felt terrible. I couldn't bear the thought that Dumbledore was disappointed in me, so I really needed to do a good job today. I was feeling a lot happier and more confident than I had in a long time, so hopefully that would work to my advantage.

"Chocolate eclairs," I said to the stone gargoyle. Immediately, he jumped from his guarding post at the door and allowed us to climb up the stairs. I wrapped at the door.

"Come in," we heard Dumbledore's quiet voice call from inside. I pushed open the door and we filed in. Just as always, we took our seats in front of the Headmaster's desk.

"Hello Adrien and Avery," said Dumbledore with a pleasant smile.

"Good evening, sir," we chimed.

"Yes, so today we will be working on the same tasks we have been working on for the past weeks. Adrien, you will be working on weather control, and Avery, you will continue attempting to contact the Dryads. Shall we continue to the garden?" he asked, as he stood up. We nodded in agreement, and followed after him as he marched down the small staircase.

"Adrien, would you like to start?" asked Dumbledore, nodding to the second year.

"Sure, sir," said Adrien, taking a few steps forward. Adrien had improved so dramatically since our first lesson this semester. He was seriously putting me to shame! I watched him as he stared up into the sky and squinted his eyes in concentration. After a few seconds of focusing, I felt a few drops of water on my face. He was causing it to rain! It was just a slow drizzle, but it was impressive nonetheless. He looked around enthusiastically at Dumbledore and I to see our smiling faces.

"Excellent job, Adrien! Though you may not believe me, these skills are of vital importance if we want to fight against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Avery, are you ready to try while Adrien is taking a break?" he asked, turning to me. I gave him a slight nod and stepped forward.

"They will contact you. I think one of the reasons that you have been struggling with this is because you are trying too hard to hear them. You must relax and free your mind, and they will come to you," instructed Dumbledore. His instructions were extremely vague, probably because he had never experienced it himself. I guess I couldn't blame him, because there is no way I would be able to explain my own powers to someone else. Dumbledore took a few great strides to the side, leaving me alone in the centre of the garden. I wasn't exactly sure what I was supposed to do, so I just stared into the forest and focused on calling them towards me.

For a few moments nothing happened. The only sound was the wind rustling the leaves of the trees. I wasn't going to give up, though. And then I heard it. The wind was picking up, and the rustling of the leaves was louder than before.

_Ava...Ava...Ava_, they seemed to be whispering. I realized I had been holding my breath. I exhaled deeply and searched around for the voice. It didn't seem to be coming from one place; rather, the whispering seemed to surround me. I desperately searched around me, wishing that they would show themselves.

Just as I craned my neck around to search I caught a tiny movement from the corner of my eye. I whipped around and saw another tiny movement.

"Come out. I'm not going to hurt you," I said in a barely audible whisper, though I knew that they could hear me. I watched expectantly as one of the bushes rustled a little bit. Then, the leaves parted and out stepped a tiny creature. It was slightly bigger than a cornish pixie, and stood at about a foot off the ground. This creature looked nothing like a cornish pixie though. Behind her, two others followed. It was clear that they were acting as bodyguards, judging by the pointed twigs they were holding in their hands.

The creatures walking towards me was like something I had never seen before. If I had not known that the creature was a nymph, I would have sworn that there were three branches walking towards me. The one in the middle, who I assumed was the leader had skin like bark and twigs as her legs and arms, while long locks of bright, green foliage cascaded down her back. A crown of pink flowers rested on her head. The two behind her were a little bit stalky, compared to the beautiful creature standing between them.

As she warily walked towards me, I couldn't help but smile. I had done it! It had taken me weeks to accomplish it, but I had finally done it! As she neared me, I held up my hands to indicate that I did not intend to hurt her. She paused just steps away from me and surveyed me, as if deciding whether to trust me. Just when I thought she was going to run away, she sank into a low bow at my feet, followed by her bodyguards.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," I muttered in embarrassment. They immediately stood back up.

"I'm Avery. What is your name?" I asked in a gentle voice, trying my best to contain my overwhelming delight.

"Your Majesty, I am Naliae. I am the Empress of the Woods. We sensed that you required our assistance," said the nymph in a low, breathy voice.

"Yes, we do. I'm not sure if you are aware of the war that is going on right now?" I started, unsure of how to start.

"Ah, yes. It has always been said that the we would fight alongside wizards. How can _we_ be of assistance?" she asked.

"Your healing abilities, along with your unique brand of magic would be invaluable to our side," I explained. She paused as she considered my statement. After a few moments' thought, she spoke again.

"Though we do not like to be a part of a man's fight, we will do as Her Majesty wishes. We will assist you in your war," she said, bowing deeply again. Before I could even thank her, she sped away, back to where she came from. As her second bodyguard ducked into the leaves of the bushes I turned to Dumbledore, who was standing in the same spot. He was wearing a look of great pride.

"What did they say?" he asked softly. I frowned in confusion, seeing as he had just heard the entire exchange.

"What do you mean, sir?" I asked.

"Ah, yes. I did not mention this before. Adrien and I will not be able to see them, or hear them. They will only show themselves to their leader, who happens to be you," he explained.

"Their leader? So, that's why she was calling me your majesty. I probably should have called her something like that, seeing as she was the Empress of the Woods," I shrugged.

"The Empress showed herself. She is the most powerful Dryad that lives today. She is hundreds of years old," he told me.

"Wow. Well it's a good thing we have her on our side then, huh?" I said, with a weary chuckle.

"It is a blessing. With their help, we will be able to prevent our people from getting hurt!" said Dumbledore, as I stifled a yawn. Even though I hadn't done much, I was feeling extremely exhausted.

"I think that it is time you both rest," said Dumbledore with a gentle smile. I nodded and followed him up to the office. Adrien and I said a quick goodbye, before we headed to the common room. I had to lean on Adrien a little bit because I was so drained, but he sweetly helped me back to the common room.

My friends jumped up when they saw me in my near-unconscious state, but Adrien quickly explained what happened at the meeting. He assured Harry that I just needed some rest. Hermione raised her wand and gently levitated me up the stairs, and very carefully placed me on my bed. She covered me with a blanket at the foot of my bed. I was asleep before she was out of the room.

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><p><strong>So, again, I'm realllly sorry about the lack of chapters, but this one is up now! Please let me know what you think by reviewing and I will update again verrry sooon! I have started school so it's going to be a little bit more difficult, but I'm still going to be updating often! :D YAY! <strong>


	27. Chapter 27

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!  
><strong>_

**A new chapter? What? :O I know I've been saying this for the last few, but sorry about the lack of updates! I'm trying, but third year law is freakin' busy! Forgive me? Pretty please?**

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><p>Days after my last meeting with Dumbledore and I was still glowing with pride from my accomplishment of contacting the Dryads. It was incredibly important for our side in the war, and I finally felt like I was doing <em>something<em> good! It was a little bit annoying that I only had a handful of people that I could tell! My friends were really pleased about my new development, though. Harry seemed to be just as excited as I felt. I knew how terrified Harry was of his friends getting hurt, and our alliance with the Dryads would help.

All in all, I was in an oddly blissful state at the moment. It seemed like everything was fitting together perfectly since the beginning of the term! Everyone was getting along, my relationship with Harry was going really well and I had finally done something meaningful in my lessons with Dumbledore.

Even school was going decently well – at least as well as I could have hoped considering the crazy course load this year! I had decided to take a short break from everything else (except the occasional snog with Harry) to focus on quidditch. Our first match against Slytherin was coming up in no time at all!

Harry, Ron and Draco had been ribbing each other about the upcoming match. I decided not to get involved, preferring to watch from afar.

"I don't even know why you both practising, Malfoy. Our team is going to beat yours. Maybe you should just forfeit now," suggested Ron.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you Weasley. I knew that you Gryffindors were scared to play us, but I thought you would have the balls to at least try," said Draco, with a grin.

"Scared? Us? Ha! You wish. I guess we'll see who's scared this Saturday, won't we?" shrugged Harry.

"I suppose you will. Now, according to my watch you lot are late for your practise!" said Draco, glancing at the golden watch on his wrist. Harry glanced down at his own and swore.

"Shit! Let's go!" said Harry, jumping up from his seat. Ron and I followed closely behind him.

"Yeah, run along. Lord knows you lot need your practise," said Draco. Harry responded with a particular hand gesture as we jogged from the Entrance Hall. We had been on our way down to the pitch when we ran into Draco and Hermione who had just come back from visiting Hagrid. Our little chat had lasted longer than we had expected, which meant we had to book it to the pitch.

When we arrived, the rest of the team was already in the changing room. They were all sitting on the benches and laughing happily.

"Finally, there you are!" said Ginny in an exaggeratedly annoyed voice, though there was a slightly smirk on her face to let us know she was kidding.

"Sorry we're late, everyone," said Harry, as Ron and I took a seat with the rest of the team.

"Alright, guys. Our match against Slytherin is coming up in two days and I think we're ready. We've really been playing like a team for the last few practises, and as long as we keep that up, I think we have our first victory on our hands. Let's discuss some of our plays..." said Harry. He waved his wand, making a stack of boards appear on a stand in front of us. On them were wiggling pictures, demonstrating the plays that Harry had come up with. I zoned out a tiny bit as he explained the content of the boards to the rest of the team, as I had already heard all about the plays while I was making the boards for Harry last night.

(Finally) After fifteen minutes of Harry explaining, we were walking onto the pitch, broomsticks slung over our shoulders.

"NO! JIMMY! PAY ATTENTION! You send the Bludger at the chasers! NOT THE KEEPER!" Harry shouted half an hour into the practice, as he dived down to make sure that Ron was alright. Jimmy seemed to have been having an animated conversation with Ritchie, and accidentally managed to hit the Bludger at an unsuspecting Ron, who was consequently sprawled on the grass. After a minute or two, Ron managed to stagger to his feet.

"ALRIGHT, FLY IN TEAM!" Harry called to the rest of the team. They all made their way to the centre of the field, where Harry was now standing with Ron.

"Well, that wasn't our best work. We'll meet again tomorrow at the same time to have one last practise before the match. Get a good night's rest tonight, because we're going to have a long practise tomorrow," said Harry, with a grim look on his face. We all headed to the changing rooms. I went to the girls' one, while Harry and the rest of the boys trooped off to the other one. I took a brief shower and threw on some clean clothes. I stepped outside and was surprised to see that Harry was not standing outside the changing room door. Usually, he waited for me. Maybe he was still in the change room?

I decided to check it out. I opened the door but covered my eyes with my hand.

"Everyone decent in here?" I asked.

"It's only me," said Harry's voice so I pulled my hands away. Harry was leaning against his locker and staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. I could tell that he had just showered because his hair was dripping onto his bare shoulders. I took a few seconds to appreciate Harry's sculpted chest before taking a few steps over to him. I lightly slung my arms around his waist.

"What's wrong, muffin?" I asked, with a dramatic look of concern.

"Muffin? Since when am I muffin?" smirked Harry.

"It's just something I'm trying out, sugarplum," I shrugged.

"Oh, alright, pumpkin head," he said, trying not to laugh.

"PUMPKIN HEAD? Seriously, Potter? That had better not stick. I will not be known as _pumpkin head_!" I cried.

"Alright, alright. My dear, sweet Ava. Is that better, love?" he asked, politely.

"Much. So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" I asked again.

"It's nothing serious. I'm just mad about how the practise went today. I don't know why they were playing so badly! Now we have the game in two days and I'm not sure if we're ready! I'm starting to think that our only hope will be if I can catch the snitch at the beginning of the match. I don't even know if I'll be able to do that, because I've been playing like crap too!" said Harry, with a deep sigh. I reached up to stroke his cheek.

"Maybe you need some motivation?" I said, as I suddenly got a brilliant idea. I stood on my toes and let my lips find his. I let my lips lightly caress his own, but just for a brief moment before pulling away. He leaned down to kiss me again but turned my face so he only got my cheek.

"Aww, come on! _This_ is my motivation?" he cried.

"When we win the game, there'll be plenty more of those...maybe even more," I said in a seductive whisper, trailing my index finger down his chest. Harry shivered at my statement, probably thinking about the possibilities.

"You are such a tease!" he growled, trying to kiss me again.

"Harry James Potter! There will be none of that tonight! Now I suggest you get dressed so we can get going!" I said, finally detaching myself from his arms. He sighed again before putting on a clean, white t-shirt. I held out my hand, which he took grudgingly.

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><p>"Ok, you lot! Today is the day we are going to beat Slytherin. I have complete faith in each one of you. Slytherin is not opposed to playing dirty, though I'm not sure what it will be like with Draco as the captain. Just watch out in case they do try anything. Now let's get out on that field and kick some Slytherin ass!" said Harry, pumping his fist in the air. The rest of the team cheered along with him before they began gathering their stuff. I could see Ron standing by his locker, digging through the pile of stuff in there.<p>

"What's that matter, Ron?" I asked.

"I can't find one of my gloves! Damn it! Maybe I left it in the common room!" he sighed.

"Hold on," I said. I pulled out my wand from an inner pocket of my robes.

"_Accio glove,_" I said. Suddenly, a brown leather glove shot out of the mountain of crap at the bottom of the locker.

"Oh, man! Thank's Ava. Why didn't I think to do that?" said Ron, with a laugh.

"Ron, I don't pretend to understand you anymore! Now, let's go!" I said. I turned around and jogged out of the boys' changing room behind the rest of the team. As soon as we were outside I was hit by a wave of noise. The stands were packed as usual, and the crowds were cheering at the sight of us (well, except for the Slytherins, who were booing as loudly as they possibly could).

I could see the other team standing on their side of the pitch, stretching or talking amongst each other. Draco was kneeling down, rubbing a smudge off his boot. I noted that he wasn't standing with the rest of the team, who all seemed to be blatantly ignoring him. I walked over to where he was standing.

"Hey, Draco!" I said cheerfully. He looked up and smiled at me.

"Hey, Ava! You ready for the game?" he asked.

"Hell yeah, we are! What about you guys?" I asked.

"I don't know. We're not really playing much like a team, to be honest. The other players really hate me for becoming friends with you Gryffindors, so they don't really listen to me much," shrugged Draco.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Well, there's going to be a party in the Gryffindor common room after the game, whether we win or lose. You should come! Wait for me after the game and I'll take you up to the common room!" I promised.

"That sounds great! Thanks Ava!" He smiled broadly.

"You are most welcome, Draco. I should probably get back to my team now. Madam Hooch looks like she wants to start!" I said, flashing him a quick grin before skipping over to the rest of my team. I took my place beside the other chasers and waited.

"Alright, I want a fair game from both teams!" called Madam Hooch to all the players. I saw a couple of the Slytherins snicker at her statement. Then, she blew her whistle. I kicked off the ground as hard as I could, propelling myself into the air. As soon as I was airborne, any nerves that I had before left my completely.

Gryffindor started off the game with a goal almost immediately. Ginny did a victory loopdeloop on her broom, before we were chasing after the Slytherins, who were now in possession of the Quaffle. Fortunately, Ron was too good, and managed to block their attempt at a goal. After a few minutes, Gryffindor managed to score again. As the crowed cheered, I took this opportunity to scan the pitch for Harry. He was searching wildly for the Snitch, which had obviously not shown itself yet.

Now, Slytherin was in possession of the Quaffle. This time they managed to score. Ron had expected them to go for the right hoop, but the Slytherin chaser had aimed for the left one at the last second, causing Ron to miss it completely. I shot a frustrated looking Ron a sympathetic smile, before the Quaffle was passed to me. I soared down the pitch to the opposite goal posts. The Slytherin keeper was leering at me as I came closer to where he was hovering. I summoned all my strength and shot the Quaffle as hard as I could. I had flung the ball with so much force that it slid through the hands of the keeper, right into the centre hoop. The Slytherin keeper looked absolutely confused about what had just happened.

The Quaffle was tossed to me again, but I stopped dead as I heard an earsplitting scream from across the pitch. I whipped around to see Draco being pushed off his broom by a Bludger. The Bludger had hit him in the side of the head. I glanced at Jimmy and Ritchie, who were right beside me. Clearly, it hadn't been them that had shot the Bludger at Draco, so it had to have been one of the Slytherins. The Slytherin beaters had shot a Bludger at their _own_ seeker!

Draco seemed to fall from his broom in slow motion. I watched in horror as Draco gained speed. I was absolutely sure that he was going to hit the ground. I saw a blur of scarlet robes dive down and pull the falling Draco onto the broom. The broom that was now carrying Draco slowed down and floated to the ground. Harry was clutching Draco's unconscious body. I realized I had been holding my breath. As Harry touched down onto the ground, Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall came running over. McGonagall conjured a stretcher and gently floated the unconscious figure onto it, before walking back to the castle. The stretcher followed behind her. I dived and touched down beside Harry and Madam Hooch.

"Is he going to be alright?" I asked, cautiously.

"I'm not sure. He was hit pretty badly in the head, but Madam Pomfrey is a talented Healer. Hopefully, she will be able to patch him up," said Madam Hooch.

"So, what happens now? With the game, I mean," said Harry.

"Well, as you know, there must be seven players in the air at all times. The Slytherin team does not have an alternate Seeker, so I suppose it means that –"

"GRYFFINDOR WINS BY DEFAULT!" said Madam Hooch, her voice amplified so that the entire crowd could hear. The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs yelled happily, but the Slytherins looked livid. The Slytherins team were whispering angrily to each other. I couldn't understand why, seeing as they had caused this mess. I wasn't happy about winning by default, but I had to admit that I was glad the game was over.

"I'm going to the Hospital Wing," I muttered to Harry, before taking off in the direction of the castle. I heard footsteps behind me, and turned to see Harry running behind me. We reached the Hospital Wing in under five minutes. Harry and I walked through the open door to see Madam Pomfrey standing beside the bed on which Draco was lying.

"Madam Pomfrey, is he going to be ok?" I asked, making her jump. She turned to see us standing there, covered in sweat and muck but didn't say anything about it. Usually she would have screamed at us for dragging filth into her Hospital, but today she was too concerned about the boy lying in front of her.

"I'm going to give him some potion to heal the wound on his head. It should help. I suspect he will make a full recovery," she said, before hurrying to her office to get the potion. Harry and I walked closer to his bed. The right side of his face was covered in blood. I reached out and gripped Harry's hand tightly.

"Thank you for saving him, Harry," I whispered.

"Don't mention it. I couldn't just let a friend of mine fall to his death, could I?" said Harry. I wiped away a tear that was rolling down my cheek and stretched up to press my lips to his.

"I love you," I said quietly.

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><p><strong>So, there it is! Another chapter! Again, sorry about the lack of updates lately! I've just been so damn busy lately, but I promise that I will finish this story! Thanks for reading and please make sure to review and let me know what you think! :D<strong>


	28. Chapter 28

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything Harry Potter related!**_

**Another chapter! Yay!**

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><p>Shortly after he had been admitted, Draco awoke. Harry had to make an appearance at the party that was going on in the common room, being the captain and all, but I decided to stick around the Hospital Wing. I had conjured an armchair beside Draco's cot, and that was where I was sitting when he began to stir. I jumped up from my seat and stood beside him. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at me.<p>

"Ava? What's going on?" he asked in a groggy voice.

"You were hit in the head with a Bludger during the match. You fell off your broom but Harry managed to pull you onto his before you hit the ground," I explained.

"Oh... so did we win the game?" he asked. I hesitated for a moment.

"Actually, Gryffindor won by default... it was a Slytherin that hit the Bludger to you," I told him. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I see. Well, I'm glad that Gryffindor won! You guys are clearly the better team!" said Draco, flashing me a bright smile, though I could tell it wasn't genuine. No matter what Draco said, I knew it killed him that his house hated him. I gently squeezed his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I honestly didn't want to tell you, but I figured that you deserved to know. At the very least so that you know to look out for anything that those awful Slytherins may try," I said.

"Don't worry. Thanks for telling me. And thanks for sitting here with me, though you really didn't have to. I know you have a party to get to," he said sheepishly.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright. And besides, I don't think I'm in a party mood at the moment. Not when my friend is lying in the Hospital Wing," I said with a grin.

"Thanks. I'm so glad I got drunk and told you all my secrets! As embarrassed as I am about the whole thing, I'm glad we're friends now!" said Draco with a chuckle.

"You and me both, my friend," I said. "Move over," I added. He shifted over slightly, allowing me to take a seat beside him.

"So, any idea when I can get out of here?" he asked me.

"Madam Pomfrey said she wanted to make sure that you were alright, and that your brains weren't addled in any way before letting you go. She said you could probably go back to your dorm before curfew," I said.

"Ugh. Maybe I can just live here! Do you think she'd mind?" he joked.

"Nah! You could be roommates! It would be perfect!" I nodded in teasing encouragement.

"Ok, I'll talk to her later!" He chuckled again.

"Are you really nervous about going back to the Slytherin tower?" I asked quietly. Draco looked down at his hands, which were clasped on his lap.

"I don't know. Now that Voldemort knows that I've left his side, I'm sure he's after me. I'm almost positive that he's recruited a few Hogwarts students to kill me if they get the chance. That's probably what happened today. I just don't want to have to sleep with one eye open in case one of my dorm mates tries to kill me in my sleep or something," said Draco.

"Wow. That's bleak. Do you really think any of them would actually have the guts to kill you?" I asked.

"I don't know. If they're threatened enough then I'm sure they'll find the guts! I mean, I was plotting to kill Dumbledore because he threatened me and my family!" he explained.

"That's a good point. Maybe we should talk to Dumbledore and see if there's any way for you to move to the Gryffindor tower! I'm sure Harry and the boys won't mind putting in another bed!" I suggested.

"Maybe. I don't know if Dumbledore would go for it though," he shrugged.

"Why not? You're not safe in your house, but you'd be completely fine in ours! And it's not like we don't have the room! Or if that doesn't work out, you could live in the Room of Requirements! Then you can have your own room and you won't have to worry about anyone trying to do you in while your back is turned!" I exclaimed.

"Hmm, I guess that's an option. Alright, I'll talk to Dumbledore and see what he thinks. I'd much rather live with you Gryffindors than on my own," he told me.

"Then it's settled! We'll go as soon as you're released!" I said.

"You don't have to come with me if you don't want to. I feel guilty that you're missing out on your house party and spending time with Harry..." he trailed off.

"No, I want to come with you, in case you have any more run ins with the Slytherins! I mean, I'm going to stay here until you're released anyway! That is... if you don't mind," I said, realizing that he may want some time alone.

"Mind? Of course not! I just don't want you to get sick of me!" he laughed.

"I never thought I would say this, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get sick of you, Draco Malfoy," I said, laughing at the bizarreness of my statement. He chuckled along.

"So, what do you want to do then? There are still a few hours until curfew," he asked me.

"Hmm... I don't know. Let's play Truth or Dare! Except we won't do any dares, seeing as you can't get out of bed," I suggested.

"Alright! Anything goes?" he asked.

"Yes! And nothing we say will leave this room?" I confirmed.

"Deal! You go first!" said Draco.

"Alright...Draco, who was your first kiss?" I asked.

"Ugh... fine! Pansy. She kissed me on the very first train ride to Hogwarts," he admitted. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"Wow, she was a skank even back then! Alright, your turn!"

"Ava, same question: who was your first kiss?" he asked. I grimaced, because the answer was really embarrassing.

"Don't laugh... it was Neville Longbottom," I said.

"Neville Longbottom? Are you serious? How did that happen?" he said, roaring with laughter.

"I told you not to laugh. In second year he asked me on a date, and I said yes. And we went to dinner together in the Great Hall and he walked me back to the common room and then he just... planted one on me," I explained.

"Did you slap him? It seems like something you would do," asked Draco.

"Slap him? I was too stunned to do anything. Neither of us ever mentioned it after that night," I said.

"That's pretty funny. Your turn again," he said. I thought for a second before coming up with a question.

"Draco, do you fancy any girls right now?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows at him. His cheeks turned a little bit pink at my question.

"Well that's this girl in Ravenclaw," he started.

"Alright. What year is she in?" I asked.

"Sixth," he muttered.

"A sixth year Ravenclaw! Do I know her?" I asked suspiciously.

"Rachel," he murmured.

"Rachel? As in the girl who sits behind me in Runes?" I asked in surprise. Draco just nodded at this.

"I didn't know you guys knew each other. Have you asked her out yet?" I asked.

"Well, that's the thing. We haven't actually talked yet," he explained in embarrassment.

"Oh, I can fix that! She's a good friend of mine! I'll introduce you to her tomorrow in class!" I said cheerfully, thinking that it would be great if Draco and Rachel got together. I could already picture them as a couple.

"Thanks! That would be great. Ok, it's my turn again. Let me see...what is the best thing in your life right now?" he asked. I was surprised at his sudden change to a more serious question, but smiled as I thought of the answer.

"Harry. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me. Even though we do fight sometimes, he's so good to me. I just can't believe it took us such a long time to finally get together!" I said.

"I think you two are a really good couple. I can tell that you care about each other a lot," he smiled.

"Thanks, Draco. My turn? Do you ever think about going back? To your dad... to Voldemort?" I asked quietly. To my surprise, Draco smiled slightly.

"Well, it would certainly make my life easier. But there's no way in hell I would ever go back to them. Just the thought of it makes me sick," he shuddered.

"That's good to hear!" I said. We continued to ask each other questions, though they were less serious. We spent the rest of the afternoon laughing loudly at the other person's confessions. Madam Pomfrey came out of her office a couple of times to check on Draco and make sure that he was doing alright. A few hours after we had started playing, Madam Pomfrey came to check on us for a third time.

"Are you still feeling alright?" she asked Draco.

"I'm perfectly fine," he said.

"Well then, I think you're fine to go back to your dorm now!" she said with a motherly smile.

"Thanks!" he said, rolling out of bed. He had been changed into a hospital gown, and his dirty quidditch robes had been sent to be washed, as they were covered in blood. Madam Pomfrey waved her wand and conjured a set of cotton pants and a t-shirt for him to wear. I stepped outside as he drew the curtains to change quickly. In just over a minute, the curtain was being pushed back and Draco was standing there clothed in the pajamas that Madam Pomfrey had conjured.

"Thanks for your help!" said Draco as we hurried out of the Hospital Wing.

"Are we still going to see Dumbledore?" I asked.

"If you don't mind," he said.

"Not at all!" I said, cheerfully linking arms with him. We power walked to Dumbledore's office, seeing as it was almost time for curfew. When we reached the gargoyle I muttered the password. The statue leapt aside, and allowed us to go upstairs. I banged at the office door, and waited for permission to enter. After a few seconds we heard "come in" so I pushed open the door. Dumbledore was peering out the giant window across from his desk. He looked surprised to see us.

"Why, hello! Draco, it is good to see that you are feeling better!" he smiled kindly.

"Yes, thank you, Professor. I'm feeling good as new. I came here to see if I could talk to you about something," said Draco.

"Yes, of course. Please, take a seat!" he said, motioning to the seats in front of his desk.

"Well, Professor, I wanted to talk to you about staying in the Slytherin tower. Clearly, after today, I don't think it's safe for me to stay there. I was wondering if it would be possible for me to move into the Gryffindor tower?" asked Draco hopefully. Dumbledore pondered what Draco had just asked for a minute.

"I suppose that could work. I am in full agreement that you are no longer safe with your house. You shall stay with the Gryffindors, unless I think of a more suitable location. I am sure the sixth year boys will be happy to add another bed to their room. I will send some house elves up to arrange the room. They will also transfer your belongings to your new room!" said Dumbledore. I grinned widely.

"Thank you so much, Professor!" said Draco.

"Not at all! Now, I suggest that you both head off to Gryffindor tower, as curfew starts in ten minutes!" said Dumbledore.

"Good night!" we said as we hurried off. We were luck enough not to run into any prefects that wanted to give out detentions for being out late (though we weren't actually breaking any rules seeing as there were a couple of minutes until curfew started). I explained about the portrait of the Fat Lady and about the password.

"The password right now is _Nimbus_. You just tell the Fat Lady and she'll swing open and let you into the tower. Nimbus," I said to the portrait. The Fat Lady gave me a wary look, seeing as I was bringing a non-Gryffindor into the tower, but allowed us entry anyway. Everyone was sitting in the common room close to the fire.

"Hey, everyone! Look who I brought with me!" I said. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked up in surprise, to see Draco standing beside me.

"Draco! What are you doing here?" asked Hermione.

"Well, I went to talk to Dumbledore about my staying in the Slytherin tower because it's not really safe for me anymore. He said that I could move in here, unless he finds a better place for me to stay! I'm going to be staying with you two... if that's alright?" he asked.

"Of course, mate! Glad to see that you're doing better. That was a nasty hit this afternoon," said Ron.

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better though. Thanks for letting me stay! Want to show me the room?" said Draco.

"Yeah! Let's go!" said Harry, standing up, followed by Ron. Harry only stopped for a second to give me a quick peck on the lips before leading Draco upstairs. I collapsed on the couch beside Hermione.

"So? How was the party?" I asked.

"It was alright. I think everyone was a little bit shaken up by the accident so it ended pretty early. Where were you all day?" she asked.

"I decided to stay with Draco in the Hospital Wing. I figured he wouldn't want to be alone," I explained.

"That was nice of you. Did you two have fun?" she asked.

"Yeah! We played Truth or Dare, minus the Dares!" I laughed.

"Oh, wow! Any juicy gossip you can share with me?" she joked.

"Sorry, but we swore everything we said would stay in the Hospital Wing!" I told her.

"Damn!" she laughed. We chatted for a few more minutes before I realized how tired I was.

"Well, I'm off to bed I think! I'll see you in the morning!" I said, before jogging up the stairs to my room.

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><p><strong>TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY? Hooray! Hopefully the T&amp;D scene wasn't TOO cheesyplayed out but it's just so much fun to write! Also, I've been wanting to add in that Neville Longbottom thing for a while and this was a good way! **

**Anyway, I'm really going to try to post more this week, but exams have already started sooo I don't know how long it's going to take me to finish writing one chapter! Hopefully these two will hold you off for a couple of days! Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks! :D **


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